Riverdale's Serpent Queen
by PenToTheHeart
Summary: What do you get when you have a Southside Serpent and Northside's Sweetheart? You get Max Logan. A Serpent since she was a child, Max has been on her own since her parents died. With Jughead Jones coming into her sphere and an all-out war looming in Riverdale, Max finds allies and enemies in the most unexpected places. People will soon learn why Max is Riverdale's Serpent Queen...
1. Welcome to the Southside

**Riverdale's Serpent Queen**

 _In the small town of Riverdale, nothing is what it seems. The secrets that surround this town are limitless. On the surface, Riverdale is that place everyone wants to live but underneath are dark secrets ready to come to the surface. The death of local resident: Jason Blossom will set off a chain of events that will lead to darkness in this small town..._

 _The Northside of Riverdale has had this long standing rivalry with the Southside. While the Northside of Riverdale is home to the wealthy and privileged, the Southside houses the more impoverished residents of Riverdale. Due to the disconnect and prejudices on both sides, there is a deep resentment between Northsiders and Southsiders that could result in an all out._

 _In the middle is **Mackenzie Logan** or simply Max..._

 _Max was a result of an affair between a Southside Serpent and a Northside heiress. Max's grandparents were very disapproving of their daughter's relationship with the Southsider and gave her an ultimatum: end the relationship or be disowned. Refusing to go against her heart, she runs away to start a brand-new life on the Southside, fracturing the already tense relationship between the Northside and Southside._

 _Eight years later, Max along with her younger brother: **Rafe Logan** are living in Sunnyside Trailer Park. After the death of her parents, Max found a new family in the Southside Serpents: her father's old crew. At the ripe age of 13, Max was initiated into the Southside Serpents and has become an integral and respected member of the gang. By her side, **Toni Topaz** , **Fangs Fogarty** , and **Sweet Pea** : Max's best friends and confidantes. Despite losing her family, Max never felt like she was alone..._

 _The appearance of **Jughead Jones** to the Southside, and the tensions between the Northside and the Southside at an all time high, Max is bracing herself for an all out war and uncovering some hidden family secrets, that could completely change everything..._

 **...**

 **Author's Note:** **Lately I have been obsessed with Riverdale. I just finished watching Season one and I'm well into Season two and I am obsessed. Veronica is a boss, Jughead is awesome, and Toni is my spirit animal. This is my take on Riverdale with my own character that I have developed. The story will be based off of Season two, which features more of the Southside and the Southside Serpents.  
This will chapter will introduce my character and a bit of background on her story **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND WHATEVER YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE.**

 **...**

Prologue: Welcome to the Southside

It was another cloudy day in Riverdale, but it always seemed like it was cloudy on the Southside of the quaint little town. On the Southside, everywhere you looked, there were either people dealing or gangs beating the crap out of each other for just looking at each other the wrong way. That was life on the Southside of Riverdale. The residents of the Southside deal with not only being victims of circumstance, but also being frowned on by the residents of the Northside.

Those were just a few of the many problems running through Riverdale...

It wasn't even before the crack of dawn, Mackenzie Logan, or _Max_ was in front of her trailer, working on her 1967 Chevy Camaro. People on the Southside knew Max for her signature purple hair and her charming yet fierce attitude. It was pretty easy to spot Max in a crowd of people, and when you did, you never forgot her. Max was just a few of the many residents that lived out of Sunnyside Trailer Park. Although her circumstances aren't the best, Max is getting by everyday.

As Max worked on her car, a small boy bounced out of her trailer.

"Max!" he smiled gleefully. That little boy was Max's whole world: her little brother Rafe. After an accident that took her parents away, Rafe was all Max had left. She would walk through fire and brimstone for her little brother. Rafe was probably the only person in the whole world that Max truly trusts and loves.

"Morning little man" Max genuinely smiled, kissing the top of Rafe's head. "You ready for school?"

"Yeah! I couldn't find my lunch though." This wasn't the first time that Max and Rafe had a food shortage.

Max let out a deep breath, running her fingers through his hair. "That's because today, you're buying lunch."

"Really?!" Max was so used to bringing his own lunch to school that buying lunch from the cafetorium was exciting.

"Yeah" Max smiled. "So, do you wanna use the Harley or the Camaro?"

"The Harley!" Rafe pointed to Max's motorcycle. Rafe always liked riding with his big sister on her motorcycle.

"Alright" Max chuckled, handing Rafe his helmet. Revving up her motorcycle, Max dropped off Rafe at Southside Elementary before heading to Southside High School. As pulled up to the elementary school, Max got off her bike and crouched down to her little brother's height. "Okay, do good, kick butt and if anyone tries to mess with you, let me know okay" Max smiled at Rafe.

"Okay" Rafe smiled.

"Okay, here's your lunch money and I'll see you when you get home" Max kissed the top of Rafe's head as she saw him off. As Rafe walked into school, he looked back and waved to his big sister before walking into school.

As Max saw her little brother off, she took out her wallet and saw that she had almost no money left. Max had given the last of her money to Rafe. Letting out an annoyed sigh, Max put on her helmet and rode off to school. Max could care less about her well-being. All that mattered was that Rafe was taken care off, that's all Max cared about.

Once she arrived at school, Max parked her bike and with her backpack hanging off one shoulder, she walked into school with her head high. As she walked through the doors, the crowd of students parted like the red sea... just for her. Not only was her hair the center of attention, but the double-headed Serpent on the back of her leather jacket made a very loud statement.

The Southside Serpents ran the Southside with an iron fist. People knew better than to mess with them, and anyone stupid enough to mess with them would feel the their wrath. They were the all-seeing eye of the Southside of Riverdale. Max has been a Serpent since she was 13 and rose up in the ranks by sheer will. Many Serpents, young and old gave her the utmost respect. The Serpents weren't just her gang, they were her family.

As Max walked the halls, she stumbled upon her best friends and fellow Serpents: Toni Topaz, Fangs Fogarty, and Sweet Pea hanging out in the courtyard. While Toni sat on the table, Sweet Pea and Fangs were arm wrestling. Max wasn't a very welcoming person. It took a lot for someone to earn her trust, but when they did, they got a friend for life. When Max was in her early years of being a Serpent, Toni and Sweet Pea were her go-to's, her ride-or-dies, and her best friends. They would meet Fangs down the road, who they took under their wings. Whenever she or Rafe needed something, they were there.

"Mornin' deadbeats, what are you doin?" Max smiled, walking up to them.

"Just your resident meatheads in their natural habitat, in their never ending quest to prove their masculinity" Toni smirked. "The usual."

"And, I'm totally gonna win" Fangs breathed out.

"In your dreams" Sweet Pea strained, trying to keep his arm upright.

"How long have they been going at it?" Max sat next to Toni.

"It's best two out of three..." Tony explained.

Rolling her eyes, Max walked up to Sweet Pea and stood behind him. Max gently dragged her fingernails along his Serpent tattoo on his neck, painfully slow. Sweet Pea felt a breath caught in his throat.

"You good there, Sweet Pea?" Fangs smirked.

"Never better" Sweet Pea tried to ignore Max, but everyone could tell she was getting under his skin. Bending down, Max let her breath fan his neck as Sweet Pea felt his eyes rolling back. Max breathed into his ear before gently nibbling on it. Closing his eyes, Sweet Pea let his guard down for a brief second allowing Fangs to beat him.

"I win!" Fangs exclaimed, earning claps from his fellow Serpents and teases for Sweet Pea.

"That's cheating!" Sweet Pea turned to Max, as she smirked at him.

"Maybe you don't have razor sharp Serpent focus" Toni teased him as she sat next to Toni. Sweet Pea's cheeks were still pretty flushed as his fellow Serpents teased him. Max got a bit of satisfaction out of teasing Sweet Pea. She loves that she could rile him up with little to no effort. As they clowned Sweet Pea, the bell rang.

While they walked to class, a Ghoulie whistled at Max. "Who knew Serpents were so hot" as he slapped Max's butt.

"Hey!" Max growled at him.

"What?" he put his hands up, playing dumb as Fangs, Sweet Pea, and Toni stared him down. It was no secret that the Ghoulies and the Serpents have a very hostile relationship. If they were even in the same breathing room, a fight was bound to break out.

"You really wanna get your ass kicked" Sweet Pea grabbed the Ghoulie by the collar.

"Sweet Pea" Max placed a hand on his bicep. "I'll take care of it..."

Slowly walking up to him, Max's face was way too close to that Ghoulie's for comfort. Sweet Pea felt his anger getting the better of him. Closing his eyes, the Ghoulie thought Max was gonna kiss him but was met with a headbutt. That headbutt was strong enough to knock him off his feet.

"What the hell?!" the Ghoulie held his nose in pain, as Fangs, Sweet Pea, and Toni just chuckled at him.

"Remember that the next time you even _think_ about putting your hands on any Serpent" Max picked him up by the collar before slamming him down on the ground. With that said, Max walked over him with her best friends in tow.

"Impressive" Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around Max's shoulder. Sweet Pea is very protective of Max and anyone knew better than to mess with her, because they'd have to deal with him. While Max could take care of herself, Sweet Pea is always looking after her even when she doesn't realize it.

"And you think I can't take care of myself" Max smirked, elbowing him in the gut as they walked to class.

 **...**

After a long day of school, Max, Toni, Fangs, and Sweet Pea were hanging out at the Whyte Wyrm: a local bar where all the Serpents would hang out. If the four of them weren't in school, most likely they were here. While Toni was manning the bar and Fangs was playing Mortal Kombat, Max and Sweet Pea were playing a round of pool.

"You coming to the quarry later?" Sweet Pea hit the cue ball.

"Can't, no one's watching Rafe..." Max sat on the edge of the pool table.

"Starting to think you love Rafe more than me" Sweet Pea joked.

"Please..." Max jumped off the pool table before knocking in two striped balls. "I'll always love Rafe more than you, you're a close second though." Earning a light shove and a smile from Sweet Pea.

As they continued playing, they heard a ruckus coming from outside.

"What the hell?" Max put down her pool cue.

"Fogarty, let's check it out" Sweet Pea called out as they went out to see what was going on.

"Toni!" Max called out as the two of them followed after Sweet Pea and Fangs.

Max and Toni ran outside to see that some Serpents were mixing it up with some Northside Bulldogs, that thought it would be smart to come to their neck of the woods. As a Bulldog was about to punch Sweet Pea, Max ran and grabbed his arm before swinging at him, hitting him right in the jaw. Sweet Pea couldn't help but smile. He could always count on Max to have his back with her killer right hook.

"Get him up" Sweet Pea said as Max held his head up as he hit him again.

Before the fight could get out of hand, sirens could be heard in the immediate area. "Cops!" Fangs yelled.

"Come on!" Sweet Pea took Max's hand as they got on his bike, and drove off as everyone else dispersed. The last thing the Serpents needed was to get hauled in by the cops or spend another night at the Sheriff's station.

...

Arriving at her trailer, Sweet Pea sat on the hood of Max's Camaro as she went to get him an ice pack for his eye. This wasn't the first fight that Max and her friends have been in and it won't be the last. That's why she kept several first aid kits and ice packs in her trailer.

"I can't believe you left my bike at the Wyrm" Mac whined as she tossed the ice pack to Sweet Pea.

"Stop whining, we'll get your bike the morning" Sweet Pea iced his eye.

"You'll have quite the shiner in the morning" Max smirked, hopping into the hood of her car next to him.

"It's a trophy, those Northside chumps will know better than to mess with us."

"God knows you need more of those..." Max rolled her eyes at the number of battle scars Sweet Pea had gotten over the years. "You would think that they would know better" Max chuckled as she gently ran her fingers on Sweet Pea's black eye. "Does it hurt?"

"It'll be better if you kiss it" Sweet Pea teased her.

"In your dreams" Max shoved his face, making them both laugh.

"But seriously, thanks for having my back."

"If I don't who will" Max smiled at him. Not that many people can handle Sweet Pea's temper. But Max could with ease. She was the one that can keep him from flying off the hinges or let him off his leash. "That's what we do, we look out for each other..."

Max and Sweet Pea sat there in comfortable silence. Out of all the Serpents, Max and Sweet Pea have a very special relationship. Although they could fight, tease each other, and get under each other's skin, when bush came to shove, Sweet Pea would run into the fire for Max and he knew she would do the same for him. His loyalty to was her strong. Sweet Pea is one of the few people that Max is comfortable showing her true self too. Sweet Pea has seem Max at her best and at her worst, and has stayed by her side. There were moments where he knew her better than Max knew herself.

As they sat there, a school bus pulled up in front of the trailer.

"Hey Rafe" Max smiled as her little brother ran up to her.

"Max, I got an 'A' on my math test!" Rafe held up his test.

"Good job, my man" Sweet Pea ruffled his hair.

"Are you staying Sweet Pea?" Rafe had come to see Sweet Pea as like the big brother he never had. While Max did all she could, there were just something things that Sweet Pea could teach him that she couldn't.

"Can't buddy, I've got somewhere to be. Maybe tomorrow" Sweet Pea got off Max's Camaro and headed over to his bike.

"Why don't you go inside and do your homework, I'll meet you in a second" Max gently pushed Rafe into their trailer as she followed Sweet Pea to his bike.

"Would you ever let him be a Serpent?" Sweet Pea asked, getting on his bike.

"He'll decide when he's old enough to make that choice" Max crossed her arms. But in her heart, Max didn't want Rafe to be sucked into the world she was in. He has the potential to do more than she's doing. "I can't make that choice for him. I want to give him the choice that I never got..."

"He'd make one hell of a serpent..."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there" Max looked into her trailer to see Rafe doing his homework. "He could be so much more."

"I don't know, I think your pretty great" Sweet Pea smirked.

"And they say you're just a pretty face" Max gently shoved Sweet Pea. "Pick me up tomorrow?"

Nodding his head, Sweet Pea put on his helmet, revved up his bike and headed back to the Whyte Wyrm. As Max watched him ride off, a rare smile appeared on her face. Max didn't show her emotions very often, but when she did, it was around people she was secure enough with.

 **...**

 _Max was sitting in the backseat with Rafe as her parents were in front. The family was going back to Sunnyside Trailer Park after another family movie night. It was a family tradition that ever Friday, Max and her family would got to the movies together after saving up all the extra money they could during the week._

 _"Did you kids like the movie?" Max's father: Jake Logan asked his family._

 _"Yeah!" Rafe exclaimed, happily._

 _"Sorry dad, wasn't that crazy about Mission Impossible" Max shrugged her shoulders._

 _"Come on, Max!" Jake breathed out._

 _"Sweetie, did you not see Tom Cruise?" Max's mother: Miranda Logan stared a hole through her daughter._

 _"I saw him mom" Max rolled her eyes. "Next week, I'm picking the movie."_

 _"Fine" Jake put his hands up in defense. As Jake drove, he looked in his rear view mirror to see that a car was tailing him. A bit confused, Jake changed lanes but the car followed after him._

 _"Dad, that car's following us..." Max looked behind her._

 _"I saw, I'm gonna try to outrun him" Jake pushed on the gas, but the car wasn't going to let them go._

 _"Dad, he's still following us" Rafe looked behind him. The car as getting way too close to them. If that car wanted to hit them, it could. Nodding his head, Jake sped up the car, hoping to lose whoever was following them._

 _"Honey, you're driving too fast..." Miranda took her husband's hand._

 _"Just relax, I got this" Jake kept his eyes glued on the road._

 _"Dad..." Max held onto Rafe for dear life._

 _"Kid's just hold on" Jake looked back at his kids with a smile. But once he turned his attention back to the road, Jake was driving straight into a guardrail. "Jake!" Miranda yelled, but before Jake could hit the break it was too late. The car rammed head first into the guard rail..._

Max immediately sat up, gasping for air. Trying to steady her breathing, Max just sat on her bed. This wasn't the first time that Max has had these dreams. That night was grained in her memory. As much as Max wanted to forget that night, she couldn't. That was the night that everything was taken from her...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, that's Max. You guys got to meet not only her little brother, but Toni, Fangs, and Sweet Pea. This story introduces a little bit of background, taken place some time during Season one. I know it was little boring but it gives a bit of background on Max and where she's going.  
** **The next few chapters are gonna be a bit boring, but they will pick up, I promise.  
** **Please Read &Review**


	2. Kiss of Death

**Author's Note:** **I hope everyone is having a fantastic Monday/President's Day. For those who have today off, enjoy your free Monday and for those who are working today (me), you can get through it!  
** **This is the first official chapter of _Riverdale's Serpent Queen_. In this chapter, Jughead and Max meet for the first time. Also, you get to see two different sides of Max, one side when she's with her Serpents and one side when she's with Rafe. For the most part, this chapter is based on the first episode of Season two.  
** **I hope you guys like it and feel free to let me know what you think! Any/All feedback is welcome!d  
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

...

" _You don't earn loyalty in a day, no matter what your name is..._ "

...

Chapter I: Kiss of Death

It was another day and Max was dropping off Rafe for another day at school. Max wishes that she had her little brother's enthusiasm when it came to school and learning. But going to a crappy, run-down school like Southside High made going to school more of a job than an opportunity to better herself.

"Have a good day" Max kissed the top of Rafe's head.

"Okay, can I go to my friend, Aaron's trailer after school?" Rafe asked her.

"Sure, I'll pick you up" Max smiled. "Now go before you're late."

Smiling, Rafe ran into the school before the final bell sounded off. Now that her little brother was dropped off, Max was ready to go about her day. Before she could ride off, a familiar motorcycle pulled up next to her.

It was Tall Boy...

Tall Boy is a veteran Southside Serpent that was very close with her late father, who was a legendary Serpent as well as current Serpent leader: FP. Not only was Max a Serpent by blood, but she earned every member's loyalty and respect. Tall Boy was like another father figure to her. "Cute kid" Tall Boy teased.

"What do you want Tall Boy?" Max smirked.

"Let's go on a ride."

"Where to?" Max asked curiously.

"FP's kid needs a favor..." Tall Boy told her as they rode off to Riverdale Memorial Hospital. Max was very curious as to what the Serpent leader's son wanted. Max was aware of who he was but didn't know him very well, but he was just like her: a serpent by legacy. Even though he was FP's son, Max couldn't help but question if he had the cache to cash in favors with the Serpents.

Once they arrived outside Riverdale Memorial, a young man approached them. He looked like he could be around the same age as Max, if not a little bit older. He was a spitting image of FP when was a teenager. That had to be FP's son.

"We got nervous when you said to meet you at the hospital" Tall Boy told FP Jones' son as he approached them.

"I was wondering about when you said about the Serpents having my back. Does that courtesy extend to a guy who's like my brother and a man who's like a second father to me?" Jughead asked them.

"What do you need?" Tall Boy asked, without a second thought.

"Fred Andrews, my buddy's dad was just shot during a robbery at Pop's" he explained. "The guy was in a black hood..."

"Serpents don't wear masks, if that's what your asking" Max rolled her eyes at what he was insinuating.

"Yeah, I get it. But some of the Serpents were working for Fred Andrews when, for reasons of his own he decided to let them go suddenly. Maybe someone took it personally and went rogue" he explained his theory.

"We wouldn't do something that low, and the fact that you would even _imply_ that is pretty insulting" Max glared a hole through him.

"Look, you guys know every hidey-hole in town, someone has to have heard something about what went down at Pop's..." he pleaded to them. With how tight-knit Riverdale is, news spread like Southside Serpents had eyes and ears everywhere.

"Alright, we'll knock some heads, let you know" Tall Boy answered calmly, patting Jughead's shoulder.

As he left, Tall Boy walked up to Max. "What do you think?"

"I don't know..." Max breathed out, crossing her arms. "I know he's FP's kid, but I don't if I trust him..." From what Max knew, FP's son spent a fair share amount of his time on the Northside and never came around to their neck of the woods. Max wasn't completely on board with doing FP's son any favors, especially with him implying that the Serpents were involved with this shooting.

"Look, we at least owe it to FP to check it out" Tall Boy explained, earning a nod from Max. Max owes her life to FP Jones and the Serpents. When her parents passed away, Max had nothing and would've been left for dead on the streets if it wasn't for the Serpents. FP took her in and protected her like a daughter. She would walk through fire for him. She would do anything for him and the Serpents.

 **...**

Max walked into the Whyte Wyrm and saw Sweet Pea playing a round of pool. While Tall Boy was questioning some people in town, Max decided to keep a close eye on the Wyrm to see if anyone knew about what happened at Pop's. With multiple eyes all over the Southside, it would only be a matter of time before either one of them heard something. Smiling, Max gently nudged him with her shoulder before grabbing a pool cue.

"You didn't come to school" Sweet Pea shot the cue ball, not bothering to look up at her.

"Tall Boy needed some help with a project" Max explained, taking her shot.

"Must be nice to have special perks" Sweet Pea teased her. Because of who she was and what she earned, Max got special privileges and jobs that not too many Serpents got. FP had full trust in Max as well as gave her authority to take control when needed to. It helped that Max's late father was a legendary Serpent and FP's best friend.

"Shut up..." Max chuckled. "Met FP's kid today. Apparently his buddy's dad got shot and you wanna know the fun part? He thinks the shooter is a Serpent."

"He's got some balls to accuse us of that" Sweet Pea's jaw locked. Sweet Pea didn't take kindly to anyone accusing the Serpents of being murderers.

"I don't know what's more messed up. That he assumed the Serpents were involved or that FP Jones' son accused one of us of shooting someone in cold blood" Max sat down on the pool table.

"It's not a big deal. He's gonna figure out a Serpent wasn't involved and he's gonna look like a complete dumbass, just wait" Sweet Pea pointed to her.

"I'm hoping" Max rolled her eyes as she took her shot, knocking a solid ball into the hole.

As they played, a few people came crashing into the Whyte Wyrm. "You should've seen his face, he never saw it coming. I wonder if he's dead" the voice spoke out as he went to the bar. "He wouldn't survive that shot, now that bitch is gonna run the show..."

Sweet Pea was about to go over there, but Max put her hand up in front of him, stopping him.

"He's mine..." Max put her pool cue down and went over to him. Tapping him on the shoulder, he turned around to receive a headbutt from Max. Letting out a yelp in pain, Max grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out of the bar before slamming him face first into the wall. "I wouldn't think very carefully about what you say next..."

"What the hell?!"

Slamming his head against the wall again, Max growled in his ear. "What do you know?"

 **...**

Later that night, Max was pacing back and forth as Tall Boy kept their new friend company in FP Jones' trailer. "He better show up..." Max scratched her head.

"He will" Tall Boy calmed her down as Jughead walked in. Placing his helmet on the counter, Jughead saw the two Serpents and badly beaten man in the middle of his living room, tied up.

"What the hell guys?! What is this?!" Jughead gasped.

"Went out like you asked" Tall Boy explained. "This guy was holding court in the Whyte Wyrm, talking about how Freddie Andrews was gonna let Hiram Lodge's bitch run the show, fire his crew, that it's good he was gut shot." Panicked, Jughead looked down at Max's left had to see that she had brass knuckles on that were covered in blood.

"So, we thought we might do a little persuading to see if our friend could talk" Max poked at the man's head.

"And?"

"And... after a lengthy cross examination with Max's million dollar fist, and we've concluded he was just being a loudmouth" Tall Boy explained, walking closer to the injured man.

"A pretty obnoxious one too" Max kicked him.

"Then why did you bring him here for if he didn't do anything!" Jughead exclaimed, with the nerves very apparent in his voice. This wasn't what he signed up for when he asked the Serpents for help. The last thing Jughead wanted was for more people to get hurt.

"So you could see we did what you asked us to do" Max rolled her eyes as she cleaned the blood off her brass knuckles with the sleeve of her jacket, as Jughead watched in horror. It was like none of this phased her.

"Now you could tell you old man, that's important to us" Tall Boy said. "With or without the jacket, your a Serpent..." Hearing Tall Boy say that made Max roll her eyes. Just because Jughead was the son of their leader, doesn't mean he is a Serpent. Being a Serpent was a privilege to be earned, not a right that could be inherited.

Once they left, Max got on her bike and headed over to pick up Rafe from his friends' trailer. As she approached the trailer, Max saw Rafe waiting for her out front.

"You wait long?" Max took off her helmet, to had to her little brother.

"Not really" Rafe got on the back of her bike, letting out a yawn. "What did you do today?"

"Just took care of some things with a friend of mine, nothing special..." Max said nonchalantly as she took Rafe home. Rafe didn't know that Max was a Serpent and she was determined to keep that from him. Involving her little brother in this world could put Rafe's life in danger, and she wasn't going to let that happen. Max was gonna keep Rafe in the dark as long as she possibly can if that meant keeping him safe.

As the went back home, Max looked over and saw that Rafe was fast asleep, clutching her back. Smiling, Max carried Rafe piggy back into the trailer. Placing him in his bed, Max took off her helmet and his glasses, took off his shoes and tucked him in. As she was about to leave, Max gently kissed his forehead before quietly letting himself out. Many people didn't think that Max wasn't capable of being gentle, but she will be anything that Rafe needs. Outside of the trailer, Max was a tough serpent that no one even thought about messing with. But when she was home with Rafe, Max was the nurturing big sister that he needs.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, that just happened. This chapter, you guys really get a first look at how badass Max really is. While a lot of the girls in Riverdale (ie. Betty, Veronica, Toni, Cheryl...) are amazing in their own right, I wanted Max to not only be a boss but also not be afraid to get her hands dirty, literally. What do you guys think of Max from what you guys have seen from her so far?  
** **Also, does Max have a point? Should Jughead be considered a Serpent even though he has yet to prove himself to them? Does he deserve Serpents' trust?  
** **Also, what do you think of who Max becomes when she's Rafe? I wanted Max to be more than just a tough/badass Serpent especially when it comes to her family.  
** **And lastly, what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay or nay?  
** **Please, Read &Review!**


	3. Our Neck of the Woods

**Author's** **Note : I hope you guys are having good day! I honestly feel like I'm coming down with something, but I've been trying to take care of myself before it gets worse. But other than that, I've been getting back into writing. To those who've been reviewing thank you for the support! This book is still in it's early stages, but I have a lot fun things things planned for this story :) Just wait and see.  
** **For this update, Max pays FP a visit who asks her for a favor. Also, Jughead spends his first day in Serpent Country.  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _If you think it's a good idea to lurk where you don't belong, you better be ready for what's coming..._ "

 **...**

Chapter II. Our Neck of the Woods

It was another gloomy day on the Southside, and before heading off to school Max decided to make a quick pitstop. Parking her bike, Max took off her motorcycle helmet and looked up at Shankshaw Penitentiary. This wasn't the first time that Max had been here, not only as a visitor but as a humble guest.

Walking inside, Max approached the visitor's window. "I'm here for Forsythe Pendleton Jones..."

"ID?" the worker asked.

Handing the worker her motorcycle license, he gave her a visitors pass and clearance to see the Serpent leader. Sitting at the visitor's booth, FP came out and a smile quickly grew on his face when he saw her.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" FP smiled, picking up the wall phone so they could talk.

"Figured I'd stop by and see how your doing" Max smiled. FP was one of the few parental figures that Max had in her life after her parents died. After he got arrested for a crime he didn't commit to protect his son and the Serpents, Max couldn't help but feel uneasy that he was in jail. But that act gave her even more respect for him. FP embodied what it meant to be a Serpent.

"You shouldn't have to be worrying about me all the time..."

"If I don't who will?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"That's exactly what your Pops used to say" FP chuckled, remembering his best friend. Jake had FP's back for better or for worse. Jake was FP's right hand man, his go to, his brother. Even though FP got into his fair share of trouble, he almost always wasn't alone. FP is forever grateful to Jake's friendship and loyalty.

"Do you miss him?"

"Everyday..." FP looked down at his clenched fist. "He was one of the best, you remind me a lot of him."

"Everyone tells me that" Max chuckled.

"Could you do me a favor?"

"Do you really need to ask?"

"Jughead starts his first day of school today, I'd appreciate it if you looked out for him" FP asked her.

"You don't honestly think that someone would be stupid enough to mess with FP Jones' son?"

"You never know. Southside High ain't nothing like his old school, he's walking into the lion's den. I'd feel better knowing he's protected" FP explained. FP has made some terrible choices over the course of his life, but the ones he regretted were the choices that damaged his relationship with his son. FP is determined to make things right because he can't lose the only family he has left. "I'd really appreciate it if you did this for me..."

"I'll keep an eye on him" Max reassured him.

"Good, now get to school. I don't need you being late" FP told her, making Max laugh as they hung up the wall phones.

 **...**

After visiting FP, Max pulled up to school ready to endure another trying day at Southside High. Once she made it through the metal detectors and the security guards, Max saw Toni waiting for her.

"Nice of you to finally join us" Toni smirked, taking a picture of her.

"I was visiting a friend" Max told her.

"How is he?" Toni asked, referring to FP. Toni as well the other Serpents knew how close Max and FP were. Max made the extra effort to make sure that FP was alright, especially since he was locked up.

"He's hanging in there, I'd feel a lot better if he was out" Max ran her fingers through her lilac hair.

"We all would" Toni breathed out.

"You free right now?" Max asked her.

"Yeah, why?"

"Figured you could help me show someone around..." Max glanced and saw Jughead entering the school.

"Seriously?" Toni looked at Max surprised. Toni knew that Max was very skeptical of Jughead. Even though they were cut from the same cloth, Max wouldn't help but be skeptical with Jughead and his intentions. She had a hard time believing that she would look out for FP's son out of the goodness of her heart.

"FP cashed in a favor, wanted to make sure his kid survives his first day" Max chuckled.

Nodding her head, they saw Jughead go through the metal detectors one more time before being allowed into the school.

"Forsythe Pendleton Jones III" Toni smirked as she and Max approached Jughead. Taking a picture, Max couldn't help but chuckle at Jughead's annoyance.

"It's _Jughead_ , actually" he corrected her, putting his beanie back on and grabbing his book bag.

"I'm Toni Topaz, and you've met Max" Toni introduced herself.

"Yeah, I've had the distinct pleasure" Jughead gulped, thinking back to the other night at his trailer. After seeing her handy work, the last thing Jughead wanted to do was make Max angry.

"We're supposed to give you the full animatronic tour of Southside High, but some of the robots went insane and started killing guests, so we'll just wing it" Toni commented as she and Max lead the way, with Jughead not too far behind them. "The classrooms don't have wi-fi, the bathroom stalls don't have doors..." Toni started listing off the number of defects at their high school.

"What about the school paper? _The Red and Black_?" Jughead asked, curiously.

"Yeah, it's nonexistent. Censorship, budget cuts, take your pick" Max explained, earning a chuckle from Toni and a frown from Jughead. "As you can tell, our school really prides itself on our right to exercise the first Amendment..." Sarcasm dripped from Max's tongue.

Turning a corner, Max and Toni turned their heads to see some Southside students huddled by a corner consuming some Jingle Jangle. "To your right, you will find a rare glimpse of Jingle Jangle being consumed in it's natural habitat" Toni pointed out as Jughead glanced over.

"I'm sorry, Jingle Jangle?" Jughead asked, recognizing the familiarity. He knew he had heard of Jingle Jangle from somewhere, but he can't remember.

"This place is crawling with the JJ. Highly addictive gutter drug" Max informed him. "So if you have any working brain cells, you'll stay away."

"Jingle Jangle... fascinating" Jughead nodded his head.

Finally, after showing him the last of the school, the three of them ended up in the cafetorium. "Alright, here in the cafetorium, the Ghoulies sit over there" Max pointed to the group of students clad in the studded leather jackets. "Rival gang, drug dealers, street racers, rumors of cannibalism that have yet to be proven otherwise, don't ask..."

"And we sit over there, with the Serpents" Toni pointed to the other end of the cafeteria.

"You're a Southside Serpent, like Max?" Jughead asked, surprised.

"You don't think she would show you around out of the goodness of her heart" Max chuckled. "Come on..."

Before Jughead could follow them, he stopped himself. "Actually, I'm gonna sit alone. Just finish my book and brood."

"We're confused, aren't you like a Serpent by blood, the son FP Jones" Toni raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, so? I self-identify as a loner, I'm not a pack animal. I'm just gonna keep my head down and try to get through this, okay?" Max couldn't help but roll her eyes at what Jughead was trying to do. He was ignorant to believe that he could just get by just by keeping his head down. People knew who he was and wouldn't be afraid to make an example out of him to prove a point.

"Hey!" Max roughly grabbed his arm. "You wanna get through this? You should hang with the Serpents. The Ghoulies get a whiff of you alone and vulnerable, they'll make you their bottom bitch before you can say _American History X_. If you think you can take a gang of Ghoulies on your own? Good luck cause you'll need it" Max left Jughead with a little food for thought before leaving Toni with Jughead.

"She's a character" Jughead breathed out.

"She's a bit rough around the edges" Toni eyed him as she glanced back at the rest of the Serpents. "But she's not wrong..."

"What'd I miss?" Max sat next to Fangs and Sweet Pea.

"Nothin' much, why you talking to him?" Sweet Pea pointed his chin to Jughead.

"FP cashed in a favor, wanted to make sure his kid survives the first day" Max explained. "He doesn't know what he's in for."

"You think he'll make it?" Sweet Pea eyed Jughead sitting alone.

"I give him till the end of the day" Max popped a piece of gum in her mouth.

 **...**

After lunch, Max and Toni were headed to English along with Jughead. Out of everyone in the class, he seemed to be the only one paying attention. Max was too busy blowing bubbles with her gum and tagging her desk with a sharpie.

" _Fahrenheit 451_ , by one of my favorite authors, Ray Bradbury. Start with the title, can anyone tell me the significance?" the teacher asked the class, holding up the book.

"What?! Damn it!" Sweet Pea kicked a desk before storming out the class.

"Make sure he doesn't kill anyone" Toni whispered to Max.

"No promises..." Max got up to follow him. When Sweet Pea was in one of his moods, it was tough to calm him down. "Hey! Sweets, wait up!" Max tried to catch up with him. "What's your problem?"

"Is it true?" Sweet Pea towered over her.

"What?" Max looked up at him, confused.

"That you slept with that lowlife Ghoulie: Jared?" Sweet Pea questioned her.

"What? That's bull, and you know it! Where did you even hear that?" Max looked at him incredulously.

"Everyone's talking about it, I can't believe you would actually sleep with him! A Ghoulie!" Sweet Pea punched a locker, denting it. Max had trouble figuring out why Sweet Pea was so pissed off about this.

Annoyed, Max punched Sweet Pea in the gut, knocking all the window out of him. "I though you knew me better than that. If you think that I'd actually sleep with that disgusting Ghoulie, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought..." with that said, Max left Sweet Pea in the hall, hunched over in pain.

Coming back to class, Max took her seat next to Toni.

"He good?" Toni asked her.

"Oh, he's better now" Max smirked as she shifted her attention back to class.

After class, Max was at her locker before being approached by some Ghoulies. After Sweet Pea's outburst in class, news spread like wildfire that a Serpent was "messing around" with a Ghoulie.

"Heard you like Ghoulies?" one of them smirked. "We could show you a real good time..."

"You Ghoulies are like a rash. Annoying and hard to get rid off" Max rolled her eyes, slamming her locker trying to walk away.

"We're not done with you" another Ghoulie roughly took her arm.

"Hey, let her go!" Sweet Pea came, grabbing that Ghoulie by the collar before punching him in the face. "You wanna try putting your hands on her again?"

Putting their hands up in defense, the Ghoulies ran away with their tails behind their legs. Sweet Pea turned back to Max, who was staring a hole through him. If looks could kill, Sweet Pea would be dead right now. "Toni told me, I'm sorry for not believing you..." Sweet Pea apologized. "I was an idiot to believe that you would sleep with the enemy."

"You're an idiot, Sweets" Max rolled her eyes.

"Does that mean you forgive me?" Sweet Pea asked her with pleading eyes. Sweet Pea couldn't handle it when Max was mad at him.

"You're still in the dog house" Max winked before leaving to go meet with Toni and Jughead. As she walked away, Sweet Pea couldn't help but smile. He knew that Max wouldn't stay mad at him for too long.

 **...**

Max coughed when Toni swiped some dust off some old boxes in the old classroom where the Red and Black used to congregate. Since the newspaper's disbandment, no one had bother to step foot in this room. Jughead opened the curtains to let some much needed sunlight.

"It's like no one's been in this room for decades" Max opened some old boxes, revealing dozens of old books.

"That sounds about right" Toni smirked looking through some of the old newspapers.

"Well, it's no _New York Times_..." Jughead looked around.

"But hey, kudos on finding your safe space snowflake" Toni smiled. It was clear that Jughead was starting to grown on Toni.

"Yeah, all I need now is a photographer with an amazing eye and a hunger for social justice. And I think I'll be set" Jughead smiled, remembering Toni's niche for photography. But before she could respond, Sweet Pea and a few of their fellow Serpents walked in.

"Logan, Topaz, let's bounce" Sweet Pea spoke out before glancing at Jughead. "Jones, wanna come with? We're going down to the quarry..."

"I- uh- don't have me beach bod yet..." Jughead sarcastically replied.

"Come on, it'll be a lot of fun" Max smiled. Even though Max wasn't thrilled to play babysitter to Jughead, she made a promise to FP to look out for him, and she was going to follow through on it.

"I really don't want to" Jughead declined.

"What? You'll ask for help from the Serpents when you need it but you won't hang with us?" Sweet Pea scoffed. "Don't come crawling to us, hat in hand when some Ghoulie decides to earn his stripes by taking out FP Jones' kid."

"Duly noted, thank you Sweet Pea. I appreciate what you and the Serpents have done for me and my dad, I do. But I'm done, okay? No more favors coming your way..."

Sweet Pea wasn't happy about Jughead using the Serpents when it was convenient for him. He wasn't thrilled about him using his father's loyalty to gain the perks of being a Serpent. Before Sweet Pea could rush him, Max stop him.

"Hey, hey, he made up his mind" Max stopped him.

"Face it, he's just not that in to you, Sweet Pea" Toni smirked.

"He thinks he can survive without us, let's see him try. Let's motor" Max gave Jughead one last glare before the Serpents left. Max could do all she could for Jughead, but there was nothing more she could do if he didn't want it. Jughead was seriously underestimating the world he was in. And was going to learn the hard way how tough this world was if he was going at it alone.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, that's it for that. I wanted to break down this episode in different parts because there are a lot of things going on.  
Firstly, you get your first of many interactions between Max and FP. As stated in the story, Max's father and FP were best friends when they were Serpents back in the day. I will expand on Max's bond with FP later on in the story. But from what you guys saw, what do you think of their relationship?  
** **Also, in terms of Max/Jughead. Their relationship be like a frenemies, partners-in-crime kind of thing. But that will be explored later on. Do you think Max has a point? Do you think that Jughead is underestimating how tough the Southside is?  
** **Also, there seems to be a bit of strife between Max and Sweet Pea. BTW, I love how she sets him straight. Nothing like a punch in the gut to have you see things clearly.  
Finally, what do you guys think of everything as a whole? Yay or nay?  
** **Please Read &Review.**


	4. In Too Deep

**Author's** **Note: I hope you guys are having a good Wednesday! We're in the middle of the week, we're almost to the weekend! Let's hang in there together. So, you're probably wondering, why is she updating everyday? This is what I do whenever I start a brand-new story. I post a new chapter everyday to gage how everyone feels about this story and how the readers respond. But by next week, I'll had a set schedule for updates :)  
** **Also, it would mean a lot to me if you guys could review and let me know how you guys feel about it! This way I know how you guys feel about this story moving forward. These first few chapters are a bit boring because everyone is still being introduced but moving forward things are gonna pick up.  
So this chapter, Jughead meets some Ghoulies and Max/Sweet Pea clear the air.  
Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _You don't get a free pass into this world...  
_ _Once you're in, you may not like what you're gonna see..._ "

 **...**

Chapter III. In Too Deep

At the quarry, a bunch of the younger Serpents were hanging out and having a good time. Aside from the Whyte Wyrm, the quarry was a safe space for many of the Serpents. This was their place, and no one could take that from them. As they blasted their music and lit some can fires, everyone was just enjoying themselves.

While Max was drinking her beer and having a good time, Sweet Pea and Toni were chilling on one of the many couches outside. Sweet Pea couldn't help but smile when he saw that Max was truly enjoying herself. Max was serious person, so it was tough to get a genuine smile out of her. But when she did flash that thousand watt smile, Sweet Pea could help but smile along with her.

"Are you sure she's not into girls?" Toni joked as Sweet Pea rolled his eyes, watching Max dance with one of the younger Serpents.

"Shut up Topaz" Sweet Pea took a swing of his beer.

"You're into her, are you?" Toni smiled at Sweet Pea. Toni was met with no response and that was enough for her. "You are into her!"

"I'm not" Sweet Pea denied. Sweet Pea had always felt something for Max. Whether romantic or otherwise, Sweet Pea acknowledges that Max has a special place in his heart. They've been through it all together, so there was no denying there was a connection between them. When she's hurting, he's angry. When she's happy, he's happy. It was a feeling that he had a hard time explaining.

"Look, I'm gonna leave you with this. Max is going through a lot of stuff. Everything with Rafe and FP, she doesn't need a boyfriend. She needs a _best friend_ " Toni explained to him. "Max doesn't trust people, and she trusts you. Are you willing to put all that at risk by telling her how you feel? If she doesn't feel the same way, you're not just gonna drive her from you, but from all of us. Is that a risk you're willing to take?" The last thing Toni wants is to lose two people she cares about over romantic complications.

After the song finished, Max stumbled her way over to her to two of her best friends.

"I was starting to think you didn't know how to smile" Toni teased her.

"Seriously Topaz?" Max smiled.

"I mean, you have that permanent snarl on your face all the time" Toni pointed to her mouth, as Sweet Pea chuckled a bit.

Ignoring her best friend, Max turned to Sweet Pea. "Sweets, can we talk?"

Nodding his head, Sweet Pea got up from the couch, and the two of them went over to where all the Serpents parked their bikes.

"Look, about what happened earlier, I really am sorry" Sweet Pea scratched the back of his neck. "It was messed up for me to accuse you of sleeping with a Ghoulie..."

"I wasn't pissed off that a stupid Ghoulie was running his mouth, but the fact that you believed it" Max frowned, staring up at Sweet Pea. "I don't care what a bunch of other idiots think. I care more about what you think and what the Serpents think. That's what hurt..." Max showed a rare moment of vulnerability.

"I didn't know..."

"You guys know me better, the Serpents are my family. I can't lose you guys..." Max had lost almost everything, she would be damned if she lost the Serpents over a misunderstanding. "You guys mean too much to me."

"You won't, I promise..." Sweet Pea reassured her.

"How can you promise that?"

"Cause I can" Sweet Pea smirked, making Max chuckle a bit.

Smiling, Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around Max's shoulders and brought her into his chest. Feeling her body tense up a bit, Max wasn't use to this kind of physical contact. It has been awhile since Max had a real hug. The only physical contact she knew was punching, kicking, and slapping, and it was usually her that did all of the above. But this hug was comforting. Even though her best friend could be a bit of a hot-head, a bit rough around the edges, Sweet Pea was capable of being gentle, especially when it came to her. This was the first time in awhile that Max had truly felt safe.

Relaxing a bit into the hug, Max wrapped her arms around his torso as Sweet Pea rested his chin on the top of her head. Sweet Pea had a front row seat to the struggles Max had to deal with. Even though he couldn't solve all her problems, Sweet Pea could offer Max the comfort that has eluded her.

As they hugged, Max's phone started ringing.

"I should probably get that..." Max mumbled against Sweet Pea's chest as they slowly pulled apart. Taking her phone out of her jacket pocket, Max saw Jughead texting her.

"Who is it?" Sweet Pea asked.

"Jughead. Apparently, he got his ass handed to him by a couple Ghoulies" Max breathed out, making Sweet Pea chuckle.

"You gonna go to say _I told you so_?"

"It's like you don't know me" Max chuckled. "I'll see you later..." Max gently socked Sweet Pea in the chest before heading back to the trailer park. As he watched her ride off, Sweet Pea let out a sigh of relief. That moment could have gone either way. But he was glad that Max let down her walls for a brief moment to let him in.

 **...**

Arriving back at Sunnyside Trailer Park, Max headed to Jughead's trailer to check up on him. Max will have a hard time explaining to FP how Ghoulies got to Jughead under her watch. Knocking on the door, Max was met by a girl that looked like she could be her age. With blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and clothes that looked more expensive than her trailer, Max could immediately tell that she was a Northsider.

"Hi..." she greeted her.

"Hey, is Jughead here?" Max peeked into Jughead's trailer.

"Uh... yeah" Betty wearily let Max in. Walking in, Max saw Jughead sitting on his couch with several bruises and cuts on his face. "Looking good, Jones" Max joked with him.

"Funny, Max" Jughead rolled his eyes at her. "Betty, this is Max. We got to school together, Max this is Betty, my girlfriend."

"Hi, Max" Betty shook her hand.

"Hi" Max plastered a fake smile on her face. "You have good taste, Jones."

Rolling his eyes, Jughead sat back down on the couch as Betty finished cleaning his cuts. The Ghoulies did a number on him. If the Ghoulies wanted to make a statement, going after FP Jones' son was a bold one. If Jughead didn't realize before how difficult it would be to fly under the radar, he definitely knew now.

"Can't you just take a day off?" Betty cleaned his cuts.

"It's not that bad" Jughead reassured her. "Just some cuts and bruises."

"I told you, that motorcycle was risky, Jug. You promised me you were were always gonna wear a helmet..." Max couldn't help but look confused. She had gotten into her fair share of bike crashes, and she never got cuts and bruises like that. Max could tell what Jughead was trying to do.

"It's just around the block. Don't blame me, blame the pothole."

"I thought you were gonna say you got jumped, by those... Creepies."

"Ghoulies..." Max corrected her. "But the Serpents won't let it happen again. We got his back, even though he doesn't want us too. Consider it family loyalty."

"Alright, I well gotta go to school and try and fix this mess with Kevin. Max, will you keep an eye on him for me?" Betty asked her, earning a nod in return. With that Betty left to take care of her own business.

"Don't tell Betty, she doesn't need to know" Jughead pleaded to Max. The last thing Jughead wants is for her to get hurt.

"Is it too soon to say I told you so?" Max smirked, earning a glare from Jughead. "We warned you about the Ghoulies. Maybe you should start taking them a little more seriously, this isn't the first time they've done something like this and it won't be the last..." As she was about to leave, Max turned to Jughead. "You might not believe me when I say this, but we really do want to look out for you..."

With that said, Max left Jughead alone with his thoughts. If Jughead really wanted to survive Southside High, maybe having connections with the Serpents wasn't a bad thing...-

 **...**

The next morning, Max was sitting with Toni and Sweet Pea. After what happened last night, Max could only hope that Jughead heard her out. The Southside was no joke. Being the son of the Serpents' leader came with a target on his back. People were gonna keep coming at him. As much as Jughead wanted to deny who he was, he couldn't.

As she chewed her gum and played with a Rubix Cube, Jughead slowly approached their lunch table. Jughead was done fighting it. He needed the Serpents. "Is this seat taken?" Jughead asked them. Sweet Pea and Max exchanged skeptical looks, as Toni moved her bag over so that Jughead could join them. As Jughead sat down, Sweet Pea couldn't help but eye him, trying to figure him out.

"Play nice..." Max whispered to him as she gave him a wry smile.

Jughead sat there with anxiety radiating off him. Jughead realized he can't go through this alone, and if he wanted to make it here, he needed to embrace his Serpent legacy. He had to...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, it seems like Jughead learned his lesson, the hard way. Jughead is quickly realizing that the Southside is a lot tougher than he realized. It's like everyone says, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  
Also, Max and Sweet Pea had a little moment. What do you guys think of Max's moment of vulnerability? Max has lost a lot of people of the course of her life and she couldn't lose any more. Also, it seems Sweet Pea feels something for Max. And we will explore his feelings together over the course of this story.  
** **Not much happened in this chapter, but next chapter is when all the fun things happen :)  
Finally, what do you guys think of this chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay?  
Please Read&Review**


	5. The Dark Side of the Moon

**Author's Note:** **I hope you guys are having a great day! We're close to the weekend, so close I can smell it haha. Again, thank you so much for the favs/follows/reviews! It really does mean a lot to me. It gives a good idea of what you guys think about the story moving forward.  
** **In this chapter, you guys get a first-hand look of what a bad-ass Max really is. This chapter was probably one of my favorites to write. Also, tensions between the Northside and Southside are coming to a head when Archie decides to call out the Black Hood with everyone picking a side.  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _It's when the moon is out that the serpents come out to play_..."

 **...**

Chapter IV. The Dark Side of the Moon.

Max sighed as she sat next to Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Toni along with a few other Serpents in the cafetorium, watching a video on Sweet Pea's beat up laptop. The video was of a ignorant and abnormally brave Northsider going on about a new group called _The Red Circle_. The boy was talking about the Black Hood: a killer that has been targeting residents on the Northside. There have been rumblings of the Black Hood and many believe it to be a scorned Southsider.

"I'm guessing we're not watching funny cat videos" Jughead sarcastically commented, walking up to the them.

"Check this out" Sweet Pea paused the video and show Jughead his computer. "Some sick-in-the-head Northsider posted a crazy ass video and we were just talking..."

"'Bout what?" Jughead asked.

"Fangs wants to earn his stripes. What better way to earn 'em than bringing us that Northsider's head on a plate" Max smirked, making Jughead's eyes widen. Jughead was starting to think that Max was a sane person like Toni, but he was wrong. Just like every other Serpent, Max had a dark side.

"I'm down with that" Fangs smiled. Max couldn't help but smile with pride as Sweet Pea banged on the table, excited for Fangs to become one of them.

"No! Guys, no!" Jughead spoke out. Jughead saw first hand how the Serpents could get and he didn't want Archie to be caught in the crossfire.

"What Jones?" Sweet Pea questioned, slightly annoyed.

"Alright, I know this guy. He's a milquetoast, he's a football player. It's kinda a lame target is all I'm saying. You wanna prove something? What don't you go after the Black Hood?" Jughead suggested.

"Why would we do that?" Max chuckled humorlessly.

"Yeah, the Black Hood is targeting Northsiders who do nothing but blame the Southside for everything that's wrong with this town and we're sick of it. The Black Hood is doing our work for us, he's a hero..." Sweet Pea agreed with her, glaring a hole through Jughead.

 **...**

As Max was walking to class, Jughead quickly caught up to her. If Jughead wanted the hit on Archie to be called off, Max could be the only one who could do it. The Serpents will listen to her rather than him, even though he is the leader's son.

"Max!"

"What do you want Jones?" Max rolled her eyes.

"You have to get Sweet Pea and Fogarty to call it off" Jughead pleaded to her.

"Why? That Northsider is kidding himself if he thinks that his fascist propaganda is gonna help anyone. He's gonna get what's coming to him..."

"You don't understand..."

"Why do you care what happens to him?" Max questioned, facing Jughead. Staying silent, Jughead couldn't risk the Serpents knowing that he was friends with a Northsider. The Serpents were already weary of him. If they found out he hand connections on the Northside, it gave the Serpents all the more reason not to trust him.

"Oh my god..." Max connected the dots. "Your friends with that Northsider, are you?" Jughead stayed silent. "You are..."

"He's not just my friend, he's my brother. He's been through a lot of stuff and the last thing he needs is the Serpents ambushing him" Jughead pleaded to her.

"Well, he should've thought about that we decided to call out the entire Southside" Max glared at Jughead. "He might be your buddy, but I don't owe him anything" with that said, Max left, leaving Jughead in disbelief. Jughead knew that it was long shot to get Max to call off the hit. But at the end of the day, Max hates the Northside just as much as Sweet Pea and the other Serpents.

 **...**

Later that evening, Max got a text from Jughead to meet him at his trailer. If this was another sorry attempt to get her to call off the Serpents, Jughead was wasting his time.

"I got your text, what do you need?" Max asked as Jughead let her in. "If this is about Sweet Pea and Fangs-"

"No" Jughead cut her off. "We need your help" Jughead pleaded as Max saw Betty and Kevin: another Northsider working on the cyphers that the Black Hood left them. "How good are you with puzzles and symbols?"

"Pretty good, why?" Contrary to popular belief, Max did like challenging herself intellectually. Puzzles were what kept Max's mind sharp.

"Wanna help us try to crack the symbols? It could us figure who the Black Hood is and what's his endgame."

"Give me one good reason why would I want to help you bust The Black Hood?" Max crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Because deep down, you _know_ what he's doing is wrong..." Jughead tried to appeal to Max's conscience.

As much as she hated to admit it, Jughead was right. Even though Max had a strong disdain for the Northside, no one needed to die. Max is many things, but she wasn't heartless. Letting out an annoyed breath, Max grabbed some of the papers on the floor and decided to help them out.

"Hey Max" Betty greeted her. "This is my friend Kevin..." Max was aware of Sheriff Kellar's son, as well as his relationship with fellow Serpent: Joaquin DeSantos...

"Nice to meet you..." Max shook his hand.

"Likewise" Kevin looked at her wearily.

"These symbols look so familiar to me, it's like I've seen them before and it's driving me crazy I can't figure out where" Betty said frustrated.

"Maybe if you loosened your ponytail" Max sarcastically remarked, as Kevin shot a look at her. "What? I was joking..."

"Betty's ponytail is iconic and beyond reproach" Kevin defended his best friend.

"Okay?" Max raised an eyebrow. Max had a hard time figuring out what he was upset about.

"Kev, it's fine" Betty smiled as she undid her ponytail. "At this point, I'm willing to try anything."

"Per Mrs. Perue's books, I'm look for common letter associations like _Ph_ , _An_ , _Ing_ " Jughead suggested, sitting up from his couch.

"Well, I'm thinking doubles. Double L's, four letter words like _kill..._ " Max suggested.

"That's morbid" Kevin spoke out.

"You have any better ideas?" Max looked at him.

"We don't even know if this thing's in English, guys. This could be an anagram" Jughead commented.

"Like literally on the top of my brain" Betty thought hard about where she had seen these symbols.

"Alright, let's get back to the basics. What do we know about this guy?" Jughead regrouped, noticing they were going nowhere. "Who is he?"

"White male, 40's" Max listed off. "Like almost every serial killer out there. He could literally be anyone..."

"No I mean, like _why_ is he killing people? Or at least why now?"

"We know the hood's obsessed with cleansing the town of sinners and hypocrites right?" Betty spoke out. "And he seems to be attacking anyone with ties to the Northside..."

"Here we go with the fake news. And honestly, I'm annoyed with you Northsiders and your privilege" Max glared at them. "All you do is demonize the Southside, so of course you think The Black Hood's from there."

"It's not demonizing, Max. It's stating facts" Betty rebuffed her statements. "There's way more drugs and gangs-"

"Oh, you mean the drugs that are primarily sold to Northside crackheads?" Max raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't forget the resident Northside Neo-Nazis: _The Red Circle_? Call them whatever you want, they're a gang. Albeit a sorry excuse for one..." Betty looked down. "Hell, Betty I'm surprised you haven't come out and said it..."

"Said what?"

"That you think that The Black Hood is a Serpent..." Max glared at her. "We all know how much you hate us, all of you."

"Okay, Max that's not true" Jughead tried to diffuse the situation.

"I don't hate the Serpents" Betty defended herself.

"You know what, I don't need this. You can call us whatever you want, but I'm not gonna stand here so you can accuse us of murder" Max stood up, grabbing her Serpent Jacket. "It's time you Northsiders know what it feels like to suffer. You all have been dumping on us for years, it's finally time you all get what you deserve..." With that said, Max left. This little encounter left her with a bad taste in her mouth. Max knew that the Serpents weren't an innocent bunch. A lot of them did things that were beyond conscionable, but accusing them of murder was on a whole other level.

 **...**

Max arrived back home to her trailer to see Sweet Pea and Fangs waiting for her.

"What are you guys doing here?" Max chuckled, placing her bike helmet on her work desk.

"You didn't text us back, so we thought we'd pay you a visit" Sweet Pea smirked. "Where were you?"

"Jones texted me that he needed a favor. I go there only for his little Northside girlfriend to accuse the Serpents of being murderers" Max rolled her eyes.

"I swear, who do these Northsiders think they are? Sweet Pea kicked a nearby trash can.

"Why do you keep helping him?" Fangs asked her. "We don't even know if he has our back, so why do you have his?"

"Because I made a promise" Max crossed her arms. "I gave FP my word that I'd look after his kid, and I'm going to keep it" To Max, a person's word is everything. If she didn't know anyone, all she had to really go on was their word. And if a person didn't keep their word, Max couldn't believe in them. Max didn't want her word to be meaningless, especially in FP's eyes.

"Still think he doesn't deserve it" Sweet Pea sneered.

"Doesn't matter" Max smirked at him. "Can we not talk about this anymore?"

"Okay" Sweet Pea put his hands up in defense. "We're headed to the bodega, you wanna come?"

"Yeah" Max nodded as the three of them headed to one of the few bodegas on the Southside. As they walked inside, the bodega owner greeted the three Serpents.

"No Toni?" Max asked them.

"Nah, she wanted to check on Jones" Sweet Pea told her as they walked through the aisles.

"Ten bucks on that she's starting to feel the Jones kid" Fangs joked, making Max and Sweet Pea laugh out loud.

"I'd take that" Sweet Pea chuckled.

"Not a chance" Max shoved Fangs as all three of them left the bodega. As the three of them were leaving, they noticed someone tagging the side of a building. He looked like he could be about their age. Max felt anger come over her as she saw the redhead tag the side of a building. She almost immediately recognized him from the Red Circle video that the Serpents saw earlier. "Guys, look..."

"Hey!" Sweet Pea shouted as he darted over to him, followed by Max and Fangs. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Back off, I'm not here for you" he glanced at them, going back to spray painting the wall.

"Oh, yeah?" Sweet Pea scoffed, shoving him against the wall. "Then who's this message for?"

The group instantly noticed a large red circle on the wall of the building. "Aw, hell. Don't tell me it's for the Black Hood? You believe this guy? And people say we're the troublemakers" Sweet Pea turned to his fellow Serpents.

"I don't know if your lost, but this is Serpent Country. You don't get to come here and tag our turf..." Max sneered at him. The red head just rolled his eyes before putting his spray pain away, trying to leave but the Serpents won't let him, shoving him back.

"So why don't you get your ass back to the Northside before somebody gets hurt" Sweet Pea growled at him.

"Get out of my way, both of you. Or someone _will_ get hurt..." he growled at them.

"You just made a big mistake" Max breathed out, reaching into her pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. That pocket knife belonged to her father and she took it with her everywhere. Max needed a little insurance in case anyone threatened her or the Serpents. Sweet Pea couldn't help but smile at his best friend. She had more guts than any Serpent on the Southside.

Before they could even react, the redhead pulled out a gun. "Who made a mistake?" he snapped.

"What the hell man?!" Sweet Pea exclaimed as he backed up, putting his hands up in defense. While Sweet Pea and Fangs backed up, Max remained where she stood, not impressed. While they looked on with fear, all Max could do was laugh at this Northsider's tough-guy act. She didn't buy it one bit.

"What?!" he barked at her, as Max put her pocket knife away.

"You're not gonna pull that trigger" Max chuckled, facing off against him as Sweet Pea and Fangs stood back. "You don't have the _guts_ to pull that trigger..." Max immediately struck a chord with him. "You know what I see when I look at you? I see a scared little Northsider that's in over his head. Who _thinks_ that carrying a gun makes him stronger. No, it makes you look pathetic to think that gun is the answer to all your problems."

"You don't think I'll use, cause I will" he said with nerves in his voice and Max could instantly feel it. His nerves and anxiety were only fueling Max to push him further. Max could tell that he was having a back and forth in his mind. She wanted to see how strong this Northsider claims he is.

"So then do it..." Max walked closer, with his gun directly pointed on her chest. The Northsider found himself stuck in his head, he didn't know what to do.

Meanwhile, Sweet Pea and Fangs were just looking at Max with eyes wide open. They knew that Max was crazy but apparently she was crazy enough to challenge someone to shoot her. But that was what made Max a fierce Serpent and a respected one. She didn't care if someone threatened her, Max wanted to see if they had the guts to follow through on it. Max knows that words mean nothing, unless the actions back it up and she wanted to see if this Northsider could back up his threats.

As the Northsider tried to will himself to pull the trigger, sirens could be heard throughout the Southside.

"Max, we gotta go" Sweet Pea told her. Glaring at the Northsider, Max knew that she couldn't risk getting arrested. Especially since she had someone at home waiting for her. Running away, Sweet Pea, Max and Fangs ran as the Northsider ran in the opposite direction.

Once they managed to get away, Sweet Pea started kicking a nearby dumpster. He wasn't happy about getting humiliated by a Northsider that didn't have the guts to use his gun.

"Damn it!" Sweet Pea yelled as he kicked the dumpster.

"Relax, Sweets" Max tried to regain her breath. "We're gonna get him back, trust me on that."

"I can't believe that idiot brought a gun" Fangs breathed out, hunched over.

"He didn't even have the balls to use it" Max regained her breath. "But we'll get him back."

"I'm with you that" Sweet Pea nodded as he, Fangs, and Max went to Whyte Wyrm to get some reinforcements...

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, the first strike has been thrown. There are a lot of things to unpack in this chapter.  
First, you get a real look into who Max is as a Serpent...  
What do you guys make of her reaction to Betty's accusations of the Black Hood being a Southsider? Does Betty have a point? Or is it just her prejudices talking, like Max thinks? And is Max out of line for saying the Northside deserves what the Black Hood is doing to them?  
Also, what do you guys think of Max trying to keep her promise to look out for Jughead to FP? That is definitely stirring some mixed emotions with the Serpents. But Fangs does have a point, Jughead isn't sure who he stands with so does he deserve Max looking out for him?  
Finally, what do you think of Max challenging Archie to shoot her? Crazy? Stupid? Brave? I personally don't think Archie has it in him to kill anyone. Even though he is scared and angry, he is too good of a person. And it was clear that Max saw that.  
What do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay or nay?  
Any/All Feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	6. Bulldog Hunting

**Author's Note:** **I hope you guys had a great day and a greater weekend! I wanted to update but the site was down for a few days, which kinda sucked. But it's all good!  
I don't really have much to say, except thank you for the favs/follows! It's awesome that people are receiving the story so well.  
This chapter, the Bulldogs and the Serpents face off with their pride on the line.  
 **Enjoy!  
**** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

"You _wanna know when Serpents are most dangerous? When we're lurking in the tall grass, stalking our pray..._  
 _You never see us coming..."_

 ** _..._**

Chapter V. Bulldog Hunting

Once they got some Serpents together, Sweet Pea, Max, and Fangs were ready to take the fight that Northsider. That Northsider disrespected them, and they weren't going to let him get away with it. "You ready?" Sweet Pea asked as Max met him outside.

"Yeah" Max breathed out as the other Serpents were getting ready to head out too. As Max was about to board her bike, Sweet Pea handed her a helmet. "You know I can ride my own bike, right?"

"Can you let me do something nice for you" Sweet Pea smirked.

Rolling her eyes, Max took the helmet and mounted Sweet Pea's motorcycle. Max is a very independent person, and so a part of her hated having to depend on people, even the Serpents; who she considers family. That was something that she was working on. Max has had to depend on herself for so long that she has trouble that leaning on other people for support.

"Ready?" Sweet Pea looked over his shoulder at her. Nodding her head, Max held into his waist as he started his motorcycle up, as the rest of the Serpents followed them.

 **...**

Max had a few connections on the Northside so she was able to figure out where that Northsider lived. Like Sweet Pea, Max was not happy that a Bulldog thought that it was smart to come to their side of town and threaten them. The Serpents were ready to teach this Northsider a lesson on respect.

Once they got to his house, the Serpents lead by Sweet Pea and Max made their way up the porch steps. They didn't even knock on the door as it was immediately opened. It was like they were expecting them. The redhead looked ahead of the Serpents nervously. He wasn't surprised that the Serpents were looking for him especially after the stunt he pulled. That didn't make him any less scared.

"How stupid are you Northsiders? You really think you can come into our house, stick a gun in our faces in front of our boys and there wouldn't be any payback?"

"Maybe he's just _that_ stupid" Max growled.

Before he could reply, the front door opened wider to reveal another Northsider, clad in a letterman jacket. "You have crap timing, bro. Bulldogs eat Serpents for lunch..."

"Is that before or after we bite you and you die a slow, agonizing death?" Max smirked, making him angry. Before he could step to Max, his fellow Northsider held him back as Sweet Pea stood in front of her protectively.

"The more the merrier" Sweet Pea called out the rest of the Bulldogs.

"Hey, chill" he whispered to him. "Veronica, stay here..."

"What, Archie? No..." she argued.

"Veronica, after what happened to my dad, I made a promise to protect him and this house. Stay here" he insisted. "If you wanna fight, we'll fight."

"What about your gun?" Sweet Pea questioned.

"What about _her_ knife?" Archie bit back.

"How about no weapons?" Veronica butted in, annoyed. "If you troglodytes insist on doing this, there are going to be rules. Or should I call Sheriff Keller to be referee" she threatened.

"How about her?" a Bulldog with glasses pointed to Max. "She shouldn't even be here..."

Sweet Pea couldn't help but laugh. Everyone had a tendency to underestimate Max, and she loved that. She loved being able to prove everyone wrong. "Oh, she _fights_..."

Heading out to the train tracks that seperated the Northside from the Southside, the both sides were ready to fight. Right now, it wasn't about proving who was stronger or who was better. It was about representing the pride they had for their respective sides. The Southside was done getting pushed around by the Northside. They were ready to fight back.

As the rain poured down on them, the Serpents stood on their side as the Bulldogs arrived. Adjusting her Serpent Jacket, Max and Sweet Pea lead the Serpents into battle against the Bulldogs. Sweet Pea and Archie faced off with the latter throwing the first punch. The punch was strong enough to knock Sweet Pea off his feet as the chaos ensued. As Sweet Pea fell to the floor, a brawl broke out.

"I can't hit a girl..." a bulldog said to Max. Smirking, Max hit him with a right hook to the jaw before going to help Sweet Pea.

Getting back up, Sweet Pea punched Archie in the jaw, falling to one knee. Max held Archie's arms back as Sweet Pea repeatedly hit him. Throwing him to the ground, Sweet Pea repeatedly kicked him while Max went to go help the other Serpents. Pulling a Bulldog off Fangs, she hit him with a headbutt, knocking him off his feet.

As the fight went on, Max saw a Northsider pull out a pocket knife. "Dilton!" Archie yelled before Sweet Pea kicked him again. Sweet Pea wanted to take his time with Archie. He wanted to get him back for not only for sticking a gun on his face, but for threatening Max. Before things could get out of hand, a gunshot resonated throughout the immediate area. Max looked up to see Veronica holding a gun in the air.

Sharing a glance, Max and Sweet Pea ran to his motorcycle as the rest of the Serpents followed behind them. If the cops heard the gunshot, they would be here in a matter of minutes. They don't need to be in jail right now.

 **...**

"Ah" Sweet Pea groaned as Max helped him clean the cut on his face.

"Sit still" Max rolled her eyes as she used some rubbing alcohol to disinfect the cut. "That's all I could do, it's gonna leave one nasty bruise in the morning..."

"It was worth it, those Northsiders can finally see we're not messing around" Sweet Pea growled as he sat on her kitchen table. "I saw you get some hits in, those guys are gonna be hurting tomorrow."

"That's what they get for underestimating me" Max chuckled as she walked up to him. "Is this really happening?" Max referred to the war that was bound to happen between the Northside and the Southside.

"Look, if we don't do something, they're gonna keep pushing us around. It's time we fight back" Sweet Pea explained to her.

"Yeah..." Max breathed out. "I just don't want Rafe to be caught in the crossfire."

"He won't, I'll make sure of it. _We'll_ make sure of it" Sweet Pea reassured her. Sweet Pea knew that Max was very protective of her loved ones and wouldn't do anything too reckless to put them at risk. Nodding her head, Max was starting to notice the bruise starting to form under Sweet Pea's eye. Even without the lights on, Max could start to see the bruise turn purple.

"Does your eye still hurt?" Max whispered quietly, gently touching the bruise with her fingers. As she ran her fingers on the bruise, Sweet Pea felt the heat immediately rush to his face. Max didn't even realize her body was moving closer to his, that their chests were touching. Max couldn't understand why her heart was racing so fast.

"No..." Sweet Pea gulped as he leaned into her hand. Max couldn't explain this feeling. It was like her body was acting completely apart from her brain.

Standing up, Sweet Pea towered over Max he felt himself leaned down and she leaned up. Their lips were just centimeters apart but before anything could happen, a voice spoke out. "Max?" Max quickly jumped back to see Rafe coming out of his room.

"Rafe" Max steadied her breathing as Sweet Pea leaned against the kitchen table. "You okay?"

"I can't sleep..."

"Okay" Max ran her fingers through her hair. "Let me tuck you in..." Max took Rafe to his room as she glanced back at Sweet Pea.

Once Max was out of the room, Sweet Pea just let out a deep breath. He was just trying to figure out what had just happened...

* * *

 **Author's Note** **: Well, it's safe to say that before Veronica showed up, the Bulldogs were thoroughly getting their asses kicked. Regardless, the first gauntlet has been thrown...  
** **Also, Max and Sweet Pea had a little moment there. You also see where Max's motivation's lie. While she hates the Northside and wants to fight back, an all-out war could put the people she loves in danger. Do you think Max should avoid a war with the Northside? Or give them their just desserts for looking down on the Southside?**  
 **What do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/All feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	7. All Talk

**Author's Note:** **I hope everyone is having a great day! I have finally developed a schedule for this story. I will be updating this story on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Tuesdays/Wednesdays my days a little bit more flexible for writing and editing. So expect updates those days and if there are any changes to that, I'll let you guys know!  
In this chapter, Jughead embraces his Serpent legacy in order to stop an all-out war between the Northside/Southside. Meanwhile, Max's motivations for war and her hatred for the Northside is revealed...**  
 **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

"A _person is nothing if they don't keep their word..._  
 _And a person's word is nothing if they can't back it up..._ "

 **...**

Chapter VI. All Talk...

Max was in her trailer, making Rafe's lunch for the day. After the Serpents' fight with the Bulldogs last night, Max's body was a bit sore and her fist was hurting. But the pain wasn't that bad that she couldn't go about her day. This wasn't Max's first fight and it definitely won't be her last.

"Max, have you heard?" Rafe said, walking out into the kitchen.

"Heard what?" Max finished putting together Rafe's lunch.

"A bunch of Serpents got into a fight with some Bulldogs last night" Rafe informed her. News in Riverdale spread like wildfire. If something happened, everyone would find out about it overnight.

"Really? Max tried her best to sound surprised.

"Yeah! Aaron was telling me about it" Rafe smiled from ear to ear. "I bet those jerks deserved it..."

"Why do you say that?" Max raised an eyebrow at her younger brother.

"Everyone on the Northside is mean" Rafe frowned. "They make us feel like we don't belong." Max let out a deep breath. Max knew how she felt about the Northside, but she had no idea that was how Rafe felt. Max knew better than to force how she sees the world on Rafe. He should be able to see the world however he wants and she shouldn't influence that.

"I didn't know you felt that way..." Max leaned against the counter.

"Yesterday, me and Aaron went to Pops a bunch of Northside kids were pushing us around. They stole our food and our money" Rafe revealed to Max.

Max let out an angry breath, trying to keep herself calm. If someone was messing with Rafe, then they had to deal with Max. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just wanted to forget" Rafe looked down at his feet.

"If someone's messing with you, I should know. So, I could take care it" Max crouched down to her little brother's height. "It's not your job to be strong, it's my job to be strong for the both of us..." Rafe nodded his head in understanding. "Now, go get your backpack so I can take you to school" Max kissed the top of Rafe's head as he scurried off to his room.

Once Rafe was gone, Max punched the kitchen table at the idea of someone messing with her little brother. If someone was messing with Rafe, Max wasn't going to let them get away with it.

 **...**

After dropping off Rafe, Max was walking up to Southside High to see Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Toni huddled by a table in the courtyard.

"Morning" Toni smiled at her.

"Hey" Max breathed out before looking up at Sweet Pea. "How's the eye?"

"Hurts like a bitch" Sweet Pea growled. "Did you see the article?"

"What article?" Max looked at them confused.

"Read for yourself..." Fangs handed Max a copy of the Riverdale Register. As Max read the article, she felt her anger levels rise. This article painted the Serpents out to be menaces to society. The Register accused the Serpents of stabbing a local Northside Student: Dilton Doiley.

"I can't believe people buy this crap" Max threw the paper down on the table. The Northside wasn't innocent in all of this. All they were doing was shifting blame to the Southside for everything that has happened.

"What do you expect?" Toni breathed out. "A Northsider gets hurt, a Southsider is always to blame..."

"We're not seriously gonna let them get away with this, are we?" Max looked up at her fellow Serpents.

"Way ahead of you" Fangs smirked as he took out some papers from his bag. As they talked, Jughead walked out to see all the Serpents together.

"Nice article your girlfriend's mom wrote" Sweet Pea sneered at him.

"Yeah, I saw that. Dilton Doiley said he was stabbed and said a bunch of you guys jumped him?" Jughead questioned, making Max roll her eyes.

"The dumbass stabbed himself, with his own knife" Max glared at him.

"And we didn't jump him, there was a fight. Bulldogs versus Serpents" Sweet Pea explained. "And you see this? Your boy Andrews gave it to me, just before his girlfriend shot a gun into the air" Sweet Pea pointed to his black eye.

"What happened?" Jughead asked, concerned.

"Yeah, and of course the Northsiders get off scot free while the rest of us were hauled in by the police" Sweet Pea sneered. "It's payback time..."

"What are you guys talking about? What is that?" Jughead asked, noticing a stack of papers on the table. "Is that a pipe bomb?" Jughead gasped.

"Fang's cousin served in the army. He's gonna build us a little gift for the Northside" Max smirked.

"We'll do it after hours, it'll shut the Riverdale Register down once and for all" Fangs growled.

"You think blowing up a building is going to make things better?" Jughead argued.

"It can't get any worse!" Sweet Pea shouted.

"Yeah Sweet Pea, it can" Jughead bit back. "Let me talk to Archie, let me figure this out. Okay?"

"Man, that's your answer for everything. Talk and more talk. And we don't even know who you stand with. Us or them?" Sweet Pea sneered at Jughead. "You can't be half a Serpent..." Sweet Pea questioned Jughead's loyalty before he, Fangs, and the other Serpents left.

This left Jughead, Toni, and Max.

"Great, so Archie started World War III" Jughead said frustrated, sitting down with them.

"The Northside has been dumping on us for years, your dad tried to keep the peace..." Toni rationalized. "Both yours, they wanted to avoid bloodshed at all costs..." Toni looked between Jughead and Max. "Now with them gone, idiots like Sweet Pea think there's only one path and one solution, violence..."

"He might be an idiot but that doesn't mean he's wrong" Max bit back. "What are we supposed to do? Just sit back and let the Northside keep walking over us? We don't have a right to defend ourselves? Do you honestly think their gonna listen to what we have to say? In their eyes, we're lowlifes and we always will be..."

"Max..." Jughead stared at her.

"What Jones? Your Northside buddy tags our turf and puts a gun in our faces and we're just supposed to stand there and take it?" Max gritted her teeth.

"Max, your dad wouldn't have wanted this..." Toni rationalized.

"You know what my dad would've wanted, Toni? _To be alive_!" Max stood up, angry. "He would've wanted to see me finish school, he would've wanted to see Rafe grow up! Instead you know what he got? He got a bunch of Northsiders running him off the road and killing him. So, don't tell me what my father would've wanted!"

Toni just sat there in silence. Toni knew how badly Jake's death affected Max. Although Max has made her peace with the situation, she had never truly moved on from it.

"Max, no one else needs to get the hurt..." Jughead pleaded.

"Yeah? Well that ship has sailed Jones. The Northsiders want a war, we'll give 'em one..." Max grabbed her knapsack and decided to cut school for the day. The emotions were running too high for Max to just focus on school.

As she got on her bike, her phone pinged. Max got a text from a former Serpent living on the Northside, with the name of the kid that was picking on Rafe the other day. Putting on her helmet, Max left to take care of some business. Arriving at the house, Max stood just out of sight so they wouldn't see her. Max saw a young boy leave with an older man, presumably his father. As they pulled out of his driveway, Max waited till they were just out of sight to make her move.

Using her bandana to cover her mouth, Max approached the parked car in the driveway. Taking out her pocket knife, Max dragged her knife along the sides of the car. Once she had scratched it up, Max punctured the tires with her knife, taking the air of them. Putting her knife away, Max took a rock and threw on the windshield, completely shattering it. Once that was done, Max took a can of spray paint and tagged a double headed Serpent on the garage door.

Once everything was said and done, Max run back to her bike, revved it up and got the hell out. The last thing she wanted was a Northsider recognizing her.

Arriving at the Whyte Wyrm, Max walked inside to see a bunch of her Serpents inside. "Where've you been?" Sweet Pea hit his cue ball.

"I had to deal with some stuff" Max got a pool cue. "A few Northside punks were messing with Rafe, so I decided to send a message..."

"I would've taken some of that" Sweet Pea smirked.

"Sorry Sweets, this one was personal. Next time..." Max winked as she sat on the pool table.

As they all relaxed, Jughead walked into the Whyte Wyrm clad in his Serpent Jacket. Jughead has had that jacket for a long time but was very apprehensive to put it on. Jughead wasn't sure if he was ready to be a part of the Serpent's world, but after everything that's transpired, he was ready to stand by them just like his father. If Jughead wanted to keep a war from erupting, he had to be all in.

"Think this Northsider's lost, don't you think Max?" Sweet Pea commented, gently nudging Max. Max looked up to see Jughead walking over to them.

"I'm not..." Jughead said calmly. "I'm over being half a Serpent..."

Max couldn't help but roll her eyes. Jughead went to bat for the Northside, so she had a hard time believing that he was ready to leave them behind to be a part of the Serpents. "Wow, you'll do anything to protect your little Northside buddies?" Sweet Pea purposely bumped into Jughead, making him roll his eyes. Sweet Pea and the other Serpents weren't convinced that Jughead would stand by them and lead them. Jughead's loyalty to the Northside was too deep.

"My father was a Serpent, he lead you. I wanna stand with you guys" Jughead stood his ground. "Tall Boy was the one who gave me this jacket, it's finally time I start wearing it..."

"Being a Serpent, wearing that jacket is a privilege, not a right..." Max line up her pool cue with the cue ball. "A right you haven't earned..." Max hit the ball, sinking a stripped ball.

"So, now you wanna be a Serpent?" Tall Boy walked over to Jughead. "Let's see if you survive the initiation..."

 **...**

Later that evening, as Jughead was leaving the Whyte Wyrm, Max was waiting for him by his motorcycle. Max wanted to have a few words with him. "Why are you doing this?" Max crossed her arms at Jughead. "If this is some kind of joke to you, back out now before it gets ugly..."

"Look, Toni said that our dads were the only ones that kept an all out war from happening. Don't you think we owe it to them to keep their legacy alive?" Jughead said to her.

"Come on..." Max got on her motorcycle, tossing Jughead his helmet.

"Where are we going?"

"For a ride" Max smirked as they rode off together.

It was a short ride from the Southside, to the Riverdale Cemetery. "You're not taking me here to off me, are you?" Jughead said anxiously, as he followed Max.

"No" Max rolled her eyes as they approached a tombstone she was all too familiar with.

 _Rest in Peace_ _Jake Dean Logan  
_ _April 5, 1970 - September 24, 2009  
_ _A father, husband, brother, and friend  
_ _In unity, there's strength..._

"Is that..." Jughead looked on wide eyed.

"My father..." Max crouched down and gently touched the tombstone. "It's been a few years now, since I lost him."

"My dad talked about him a lot, they were best friends" FP held Jake in high regard. Even when they were down on their luck and had nothing, they still had each other. They looked out for each other when other people didn't.

"They were brothers" Max smiled, remembering her father. "After my parents died, FP took me in. Looked after me and Rafe. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. They were the ones that kept the Serpents on track..."

"Then we can't let all of this happen" Jughead referred to the impending war that was bound to happen between the Northside and Southside.

"The Serpents are a lot of things, but my father and yours made sure that there was always honor connected to the Southside Serpents, to our name" Max looked up Jughead. "My father made mistakes, but he always made sure to protect the people he loved. There were moments when he gave into his anger, but there were moments where he knew that using his fists wasn't always the answer. He wasn't perfect, but he was still my dad..."

"I know the feeling" Jughead sat next to her. Throughout his childhood, FP wasn't exactly father of the year either. He gave into his anger and his vices as well. But despite his misgivings, Jughead could never give up on his father.

"You can't choose your family, they come into your life when you need them" Max breathed out.

"If that's how your father felt, then why won't you stop this? If he prevented the war, why are you egging it on?" Jughead had to know Max's motivations. There had to be more to her hatred than what she let on.

"When I was a kid, my parents saved up all their tips so they could take me and my brother to the movies every Friday. It was a family tradition. One night, when we were coming home from the Twilight Drive in, a bunch of Northsiders were tailing our car..." Max thought back to the night that completely changed her life. "They wouldn't leave us alone, and they got too close. My dad couldn't see where he was driving and he ended up driving head first into the guardrail. We bounced off the rail and off the road, it all happened so fast..." Max still remembers that night like it happened yesterday. That was the night that the two people she truly loved were taken away from her.

"I don't know how me and Rafe survived, but we did..." Jughead saw something in Max's eyes that he never thought he would see: vulnerability and compassion.

"I've done things that I'm not proud of and I can own that. But you can't blame me for hating the Northside. It was because of those Northsiders that I lost my parents. So, I'm sorry if talking isn't enough for me. It's tough to talk to people that refuse to listen."

Jughead finally understood where Max's resentment came from. "I understand..."

"Well you still wanna do this?" Max referred to the Serpent Initiation.

"I do..." Jughead said with certainty. "If we don't do something, who will?"

"Well, that we have a lot of work to do..." Max stood up, as Jughead looked at her confused.

Max knew first hand how difficult the trials were and if Jughead was gonna get through them, he was gonna have to be prepped hard.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, let the Serpent Boot Camp beings...  
** **But there are a few things to unpack in this chapter, but Max is at the forefront of this chapter.**  
 **What do you make of Max not pushing her views of the Northside on Rafe? Most parents/guardians would want their children to see the world like them. It seems like Max wants Rafe to have the choices that she never got. Also, seeing Max trash a suburb in the Northside is awesome to me haha.**  
 **Also, you see where Max's hatred for the Northside comes from? In her eyes, the Northside took her parents away from her. Do you think how she feels is justified?**  
 **Also, this idea of right/privilege is going to pop up in the story a few times as a central theme.  
Finally, what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay or Nay?  
Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review **


	8. Welcome to our World

**Author's Note: I hope everyone is having an amazing day! I come to you guys with another update. I don't have too much to update you guys on, other than thank you for all the favorites/follows! It means a lot to me that you guys are loving the story! Also, don't be afraid to review! I like replying to reviews and seeing what you guys think/have to say :)  
Also, I know Max is taking over most of Toni's scenes with Jughead, but since this story centers on her, I wanted Max to be the one guiding Jughead through the world of the Southside Serpents. But, Toni will still have a big impact on the kind of Serpent Jughead becomes. Also, Max/Sweet Pea reach a turning point in their friendship.  
For this update, Jughead starts his Serpent Trials and Max takes him under her wing.  
Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _We protect our own_..."

 **...**

Chapter VII. Welcome to our World

After taking Jughead home, Max came back home to her trailer to see Sweet Pea and Fangs inside playing with Hot Dog: the Serpent's resident beast.

"What are you guys doing here?" Max chuckled. "And how did you even get in?"

"We know where you hide the spare key" Fangs chuckled as Hot Dog ran up to Max. Crouching down, Hot Dog covered Max's face with kisses. Max remembered when she had to take care of Hot Dog when she was a new Serpent. Hot Dog kept her company through a number of sleepless nights.

"It's time..." Sweet Pea tossed her a snake mask.

"You think he's ready?" Max stood up, holding Hot Dog.

"We're about to find out" Sweet Pea smirked as they headed to Jughead's trailer.

Once they got to his trailer, Max took out a pin and started picking the lock to his door. When she got it open, the Serpents walked inside quietly. As the rest of the Serpents stood at the foot of Sweet Pea's bed, Max held onto to Hot Dog. Feeling his bed kick, Jughead immediately woke up. He quickly sat up and saw several of the Serpents in his room.

"What the hell?" He breathed out.

"You're initiation begins now, with you assuming guardianship of the Beast..." Sweet Pea said as Max let Hot Dog go and handed him over to Jughead.

"You're kidding me..." Jughead breathed out as Hot Dog licked his face.

 **...**

The next morning, Jughead and Max were headed to School. With Jughead starting his Serpent Initiation, Max resolved to keep a close eye on him. "So, what do you think of the Beast?" Max chuckled.

"He stinks and barks all the time..." Jughead said annoyed. "He's got no boundaries..."

"He's a sweet dog. Plus every new recruit has to take care of Hot Dog, it's tradition. Even I had to take care of him" Max nudged him. "By the way, this is our third Hot Dog..."

"Oh Hot Dog the third? This is getting borderline ridiculous" Jughead rolled his eyes.

"Yeah keep talking Forsythe the third" Max smirked. "I'll see you after school..." Max headed to class while Jughead headed to the _Red & Black_.

 **...**

Once school ended, Max dropped Rafe off at a friend's house she went over to Jughead's trailer to help him with his second trial. Knocking on the door, Jughead let her in. "What are you doing here?"

"To quiz you on your homework" Max smirked. "Have you been studying Serpent law like I told you?"

"Yeah" Jughead sat down.

"Okay, tell me all the laws in order of importance" Max sat down in front of him.

"A serpent never shows cowardice. If a serpent is killed or imprisoned, then their family will be taken care off. Serpents..." Jughead tried to remembered the Serpent laws. The Serpent laws have changed with the generations, but all of them are what each Southside Serpent lives by.

"Come on, you should know this" Max willed him on. "You need to take this seriously. These laws aren't a joke to us..."

"Hey, I am Max. I swear to god, I am" Jughead got up, frustrated. "First the beast, now these laws..."

"I know I asked you this already, but you didn't answer me. Why did you do this? Why go from conscious, level-headed observer to full-fledged Serpent?" Max raised her eyebrow at him.

"Because of something you and Toni said..." Jughead answered. "Our dads were the only one keeping idiots like Sweet Pea in line. Someone needs to step up to keep an all-out war from erupting. Don't you think we owe it to them?"

"FP always told me that my dad could've left the Southside whenever he wanted. But there was always something keeping him here. I think something in him couldn't leave the Serpents behind" Max sat down. "Don't get me wrong, he wasn't a saint. Just like Sweet Pea, there were moments when he let his anger cloud his judgement, did things he wasn't proud of. But when bush came to shove, he would do anything to protect the Serpents even if it meant swallowing his pride. I guess he knew that there were some things his fists wouldn't solve. That's what made him a great leader..."

"Do you miss him?"

"Every day" Max looked down at her fist. "But Toni was right. If he was alive right now, seeing how everything has gone down, blood shed is the last thing he wants..."

"Then let's pick up where they left off, before we lose one of our own" Jughead pleaded to her. "I am taking this seriously Max, and it would help if you had my back..."

"Well then, we have a lot of work to do" Max smirked. "From the top..."

After helping Jughead learn all the laws, him and Max headed to the Whyte Wyrm for his second initiation trial.

"What is the fourth law?!" Tall Boy yelled right in Jughead's face as the rest of the Serpents surrounded around them.

"No serpent is left for dead!" Jughead didn't back down.

"What is the fifth law!"

"A serpent never betrays it's own!" Max looked on with Toni, Fangs, and Sweet Pea by her side. She looked on with intent, impressed with how Jughead held his own.

"What is the sixth!"

"In unity, there is strength!"

" _In unity, there is strength_!" the rest of the Serpents repeated in unison. The sixth law was the most important to all the Southside Serpents. No enemy could take down the Serpents as long as they stood together.

"You know the laws, now it's time for the next trial!" Tall Boy exclaimed, as Fangs and Sweet Pea moved aside, revealing a tank with a rattlesnake inside. "Retrieve the knife..."

"What?" Jughead looked at the tank with fear in his eyes. Jughead turned to Max, who nodded her head.

Jughead took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the tank. As he reached for the knife, the snake bit him. Jughead let out a cry of pain. As the snake let go of Jughead's hand, he quickly retrieved the knife before it could strike again. "A rattlesnake Max, a rattlesnake bit me and drew blood..." Jughead wrapped up his hand.

"One that had it's venom glands removed" Max looked at him deadpanned. "Stop being such a baby. The point is that you got the knife, remembered all the laws, and showed everyone that you're the real deal."

"Did you actually have to do this stuff?"

"Believe it or not, yeah. You don't get an easy out because you're FP Jones's son" Max chuckled, making Jughead roll his eyes. "We don't play around especially when it comes to letting people into this world."

"You guys are insane" Jughead looked at her humorlessly.

"Mock us now, but you're almost a Serpent too Jones" Max socked his shoulder.

 **...**

After Jughead completed the last two trials at the Whyte Wyrm, Max was walking to his trailer to talk to him. The final trial was hands down the most difficult trial. When Max went through the final trial, she still carried scars from that night. She wasn't sure if Jughead was all in. And if her suspicions were right, he wasn't going to survive the gauntlet.

"What's up?" Jughead let her in.

"I came here to talk" Max shoved her hands in her jacket. "If you're having any doubts, right now is the time to back out, because the last trial... it's... it's not like the others" Max showed a rare moment of fear for his well-being. This last stage demonstrates a sign of respect within the Serpents, as they must be willing to put their lives on the line for each other. It is that strong sense of loyalty that made the Serpents a force to be reckoned with.

"The gauntlet, you mean? If it's anything like the Beast, I think I'll be fine. It's whatever."

Max let out a deep breath, "It's not whatever, Jug. If you join us, you have to be willing to die for us... because we will for you." The reality of the situation was starting to hit Jughead, and he was trying his best not to show it. "Can you say that about your Northside buddies? Can you say that about your girlfriend? One day you're gonna look up, and their gone. That's what happens when you join a gang, and the Serpents are no different. If you're with us, you have to be all in..."

"Consider me warned" Jughead took in everything Max said. "Thank you, Max. For everything..."

"Don't mention it" Max smirked. As much as she hated to admit it, Jughead was starting to grow on her.

 **...**

The next morning, Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Max along with a few other Serpents were headed to Jughead's trailer to get him for the Gauntlet.

"I can't believe he made it this far" Sweet Pea smirked. Despite his annoyance with Jughead, even Sweet Pea was impressed with his resolve.

"Is he finally starting to grow on you?" Max joked with him.

"Ask me again after the gauntlet" Sweet Pea rolled his eyes. "Do you have 'em?"

"Yeah" Max took out her father's old brass knuckles. These brass knuckles have been used for every Serpent initiation.

"Can't wait to bash that pretty face in" Sweet Pea put on Jake's old brass knuckles.

"So much for him growing on you" Max rolled her eyes as they approached Jughead's trailer, hearing him talking to someone. It was none other than Archie.

"What the hell do we have here?" Sweet Pea growled. The Serpents really didn't appreciate a Northsider coming on to their turf whenever he pleased.

"Just leave him, alright" Sweet Pea tried to play peacemaker.

"You're friends with these thugs?" Archie looked at Jughead incredulously.

"It's not what you think..."

"Are you joining the Serpents?"

"If he survives..." Max looked at him with a stone cold look. Even Max wasn't sure if Jughead could make it through the gauntlet.

"Go ahead and call us thugs one more time, I dare you" Sweet Pea was about to step to Archie, only for Max to hold him back. "Easy Sweet Pea..."

"Jughead, these are the guys that attacked me. Who attacked Reggie and Veronica and Dilton, your friends!" Archie exclaimed.

"Please, you had it coming the minute you came to our turf" Max sneered at him.

"Is that why you're here? To warn me?"

"No, I came here to tell you to stay away from Betty. She doesn't want to see you anymore..." The minute Archie said that, Max could feel Jughead's heart shatter as she glanced at Sweet Pea and Fangs. She's never had a broken heart, but she knew it was like to lose someone she cared about. That pain stays with you.

"Screw you! I just saw Betty yesterday... she... she was fine."

"Dude, she's been wanting to break up with you for weeks. She's been agonizing over it. Since you crossed the dark side, she couldn't bring herself to do it" Archie looked over at the Serpents.

"So she sent you?" Jughead looked at Archie in disgust. "Betty would never do that!"

"You don't believe me, then call her!" Archie challenged him. "And feel free to tell her your a Serpent now too, I bet she'll love that. She saw where you were headed Jughead, we all did. And she knows you can't be with them and her. You know it too... " As much as Jughead wanted to deny it, Archie was right. Jughead was kidding himself if he thought he could be a part of both worlds.

Turning around, Jughead saw the rest of the Serpents still standing there.

"What! Did you enjoy the show!?" Jughead yelled at them.

"Hey!" Max got in his face. "You can be mad all you want, but you have no right to be mad at us! And this..." Max gestured to the Serpents standing with them. "This was the world you chose." Jughead stood there quietly.

"The show hasn't even started yet..." Sweet Pea crossed his arms.

 **...**

Later that night, Jughead was walking through the Serpents as each and everyone one of them hit him with everything ounce of strength they could. Jughead just took it without faltering. Jughead was showing the resilience and strength of a Serpent. Max could tell that Jughead's broken heart was fueling him.

"He's doing it..." Max smiled.

"It's not over yet..." Sweet Pea took out the brass knuckles, before handing them to Max. "You can have the honors..." Taking the brass knuckles, Max put them on as Jughead made it through the last of the Serpents.

As Jughead walked through all the hits, Max, Sweet Pea, and Tall Boy were waiting for him.

"Is that all you got?" Jughead challenged them. Clutching the brass knuckles, Max Pea swung a right hook straight in Jughead's jaw. Jughead was trying to find it in him to stand up. Willing himself on, Jughead stood up. As he stood tall, Sweet Pea stuck his hand out as a sign of respect. Jughead took his hand as Max looked on with pride. Jughead had ran the gauntlet, and was now officially a Serpent.

Walking up to him, Toni walked up to Jughead and handed him his Serpent jacket. Although he was FP Jones' son, Jughead was now officially a Serpent. He had officially earned the right to call himself one.

 **...**

Once the trials were over, Max and Sweet Pea were at her trailer. It was a long night, and they both were exhausted. "I can't believe he did it" Sweet Pea chuckled as he sat on her Camaro, sipping his beer.

"I can" Max sat next to him. "You might think I'm insane, but I kinda knew he had it in him..."

"Well, he's one of us now" Sweet Pea sipped his beer as he glanced over at Max, who was staring at the stars. Because there weren't too many street lights at Sunnyside, the stars were very visible. The other night was still fresh in Sweet Pea's mind and wanted to know where Max stood.

"Max, about the other night..." Sweet Pea started.

"What about it?" Max asked nonchalantly.

"It's just... I didn't want to make you feel weird" Sweet Pea stuttered. Max couldn't help but chuckle. It was a rare sight to see Sweet Pea so nervous. She was so used to seeing him so confident and sure of himself.

"You are so corny, Sweet Pea" Max smiled. "What if I didn't feel weird? What if I wanted you to keep going?" Max turned to him, scooting closer to Sweet Pea.

"What are you doing to me, Logan?" Sweet Pea whispered, their faces millimeters apart. "You drive me crazy..." Sweet Pea took a strand of her lilac hair and tucked it behind her ear. Max herself was surprised at how gentle Sweet Pea was when it came to her. Max's breath fanned Sweet Pea's face, as her eyes began to flutter.

"If I kissed you right now, you won't punch me, will you?" Sweet Pea whispered.

"I guess we'll have to find out" Max smirked, placing her hand on the nape of Sweet Pea's neck. As their faces inched closer together, their lips met. This feeling was strange to Max, this was all new to her. Max's lips started to move on their own as their bodies inched even closer together. Slowly pulling apart,

Sweet Pea's eyes fluttered. He couldn't believe that he actually kissed one of the best girls he knew. "Wow..." was all Sweet Pea could say.

"That's it? That's all you can say?" Max raised eyebrow at him.

"I guess we're gonna have to try again" Sweet Pea smirked, placing his hand on her waist and brought her in for another kiss. Even though they weren't sure what they felt for each other, but Max and Sweet Pea were going to just live in this moment.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **So, that just happened.  
Honestly, I love how Max responded when Sweet Pea kissed her. At least she didn't punch him lmao. But regardless, where do you guys see their friendship/budding relationship going?  
** **Also, it seems like Jughead is growing on Max. What do you guys make of their interactions in this chapter? It seems like Max sees the potential Jughead has to be a great Serpent.  
** **Also, you hear Max talk more about her father and his days a Serpent. I wanted Jake (Max's father) to be a leader than ran on his heart, rather than his head. Would you guys like to see flashbacks of FP/Jake in this story? Lemme know!  
** **Finally, what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay or Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	9. No one Gets Left Behind

**Author's Note: I hope everyone is having a great day and a great weekend. Thank you for the favs/follows, it means a lot to me. If you guys could review the story for me, it would mean a lot! I love talking to you guys and hearing your thoughts on the story! But other than that, I don't have too much to update you guys on.  
In this chapter, the Serpents are under attack by the city, forcing Max and Jughead team up with Archie before the Serpents are eliminated.  
Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _Blood makes you related, but loyalty makes you family..._ "

 **...**

Chapter VIII. No one Gets Left Behind...

For a change of pace, Max and Rafe decided to walk to school together as opposed to her driving them. After what happened last night, Max as going through a full range of emotions. While she was happy, but a part of her was confused. Was Max really ready to let a guy into her world as more than just a friend? People left Max, they usually never stayed. Max wasn't sure if she wanted to put her friendship with Sweet Pea at risk for a relationship that may not work. Max couldn't lose someone else she cared about.

As Max was caught up in her thoughts, her phone was pinging. It was Sweet Pea.

 **Sweets** 🐍💕 **  
** **Can't wait to see you, we got a lot of stuff to talk about** 😘

Letting out a bitter chuckle, Max quickly replied before shoving her phone in her pocket. Rafe instantly picked up on his big sister's mood change. "Was that Sweet Pea?"

"Maybe..." Max smirked, wrapping an arm around Rafe.

"I like Sweet Pea, is he your boyfriend?" Rafe asked. Rafe knew how close Sweet Pea was with his big sister.

"You're the only man in my life" Max kissed the top his head. "But Sweet Pea is a close second."

"I'm serious, you deserve to be with someone that treats you good, and Sweet Pea treats you good" Rafe knows how much Max sacrifices for him. All he wants is for his big sister to find happiness with someone.

"I don't think I have time for a boyfriend, I have _you_ to think about" Max looked down at him. "I don't have time for one."

"But you need someone..." Rafe was trying to get Max to see that he wasn't going to be enough for her.

"I have you, that's more than enough for me..." Max smiled as they walked up to Southside Elementary.

"I just want you to be happy and he makes you happy. You deserve that" Rafe smiled as Max crouched down to his height, holding her face in his hands. "You deserve to be happy..."

"When did you get so smart?" Max smiled as the school bell rang. "Go to school. I'll pick you up after school."

Rafe nodded his head as he walked into school, as Max watched him off. Rafe's self awareness often surprised Max. She keeps forgetting how smart her little brother is. Once he was inside, Max headed to school too. Even though Southside High was rundown and crappy, that was still her school. That was her place that she shared with the Serpents. Southside High was their place and no one could take that away from them.

As she walked up to school, Max saw several Serpents running away. "Fangs, what's going on?!" Max stopped him.

"It's a raid! They're hauling us all in!" Fangs panicked.

"Where are Sweet Pea and Toni?"

"I didn't see them, they might still be inside" Fangs looked around.

"Okay, go to the Wyrm. I'll get Sweet Pea and Toni and I'll meet you there" Max instructed the newer Serpent as she ran to the school.

As Max was about to run into the school, someone grabbed her arm. "Let go!" Max growled, only to see it was Jughead.

"Max, you go in there and they'll get you too!"

"Serpent law!" Max roared. "No Serpent is left for dead!"

"We can't help them from jail! We need to play it smart. If we don't, we're done all for!" Jughead explained to her. As much as Max wanted to disagree with him, Jughead was right. Max already had a record and if she was hauled in one more time, she wasn't going to see daylight any time soon. Max looked inside the school to see the police pushing Sweet Pea against the lockers and cuffing Toni. They both saw Max looking into the school with pain in her eyes. Shaking their heads, they both knew that if Max was cuffed, she wouldn't see daylight again. They weren't gonna leave Rafe without his big sister.

 **...**

After the raid, Max knew that she couldn't leave Sweet Pea and Toni to rot in cell for something they didn't do. Max felt helpless. She couldn't just sit back and do nothing.

"I can't believe they got them" Fangs said frustrated as he and Max waited outside of Southside Elementary.

"I could've helped them, I _should've_ helped them" Max gritted her teeth.

"If you got busted, you were never getting out. They would send you to Shankshaw before you could even blink" Fangs told her.

Max was by no means a saint. There was a reason why people called Max the Queen Serpent of the Southside. A short list of what Max has done includes: theft, vandalism, trespassing, car jacking, aggravated assault, extortion, and blackmail. Max was able to get away with half of those things, partly in due to the Serpents having her back. That loyalty has saved Max on so many occasions. But with the heat falling on the Southside, if Max were to get caught again, there was no guarantee that the Serpents could save her. That was a gamble she wasn't willing to take.

"You should really think before you speak" Max rolled her eyes, socking Fangs in the shoulder.

"I'm serious, Max" Fangs told her. "You can help them more out here, than in a cell..."

"This has Ghoulies written all over it, I know it" Max crossed her arms. "Can you watch Rafe for me? I have to go meet Jughead. Figure out what the hell we're gonna do."

"I got it" Fangs shook her shoulder as Max went to Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe.

Once she entered, Max was met with many looks, mostly some of disgust and fear. Not too many Serpents came into to Pop's. "Max..." Jughead walked up to her. "Hear anything from the Serpents?"

"No" Max sat down. "A lot of them are hiding. The cops are patrolling the Southside and hauling in every Serpent they can find. We're not safe anywhere.."

"This is bad, this really bad" Jughead paced back and forth.

"Jughead calm down..." Archie said to him.

"Calm down!? Archie, Riverdale became a police state!" Jughead argued.

"McCoy's convinced that the Serpents are the one's dealing the Jingle Jangle" Archie reasoned out.

"Are you serious? The Serpents don't deal that trash, the Ghoulies do!" Max scoffed.

"Why don't you guys just tell Mayor McCoy that?" Archie reasoned out.

"Oh Mayor McCoy?" Jughead sat down next to Max. "Do mean the McCoy that just arrested our all friends for no reason?" Archie just stayed silent. There was no proof that the Serpents were dealing. It was the Serpents' reputation that got them arrested. "Why do you care anyway man? I thought you and Betty wanted nothing to do with me?"

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened and how it happened" Archie apologized. "And as for Betty, you should maybe talk to her..."

"Sorry to interrupt this tender moment, but if we don't anything quick, more Serpents are gonna end up in jail because of you Northsiders" Max pointed a finger at Archie.

"What makes you think we had anything to do with this?" Archie looked at her.

"Because you Northsiders have had it out for us since the beginning! I bet all of you want to see us rot in jail!" Max yelled at him as her phone and Jughead's phones went off. Taking out their phones, Tall Boy texted both of them, asking to meet up.

"He text you too?" Max asked Jughead, nodding his head in response.

"We need to go, Tall Boy wants to Parliament" Jughead said as he and Max left.

 **...**

Parking their bikes, Jughead and Max met the address that Tall Boy sent them. "Where is this place?" Jughead looked around.

"I have an idea..." Max muttered as the two them made their way down the stairs and into the basement. Once they were down, Max and Jughead looked around and saw that it was dark and smelled like Jingle Jangle. Max immediately recognized where they were at, in a Ghoulie den.

"This place gives me the creeps" Jughead shuttered.

"Tell me about it" Max breathed out as they heard rock music from a distance. As they walked closer, the immediately recognized Tall Boy.

"Sit down kids, business to discuss" Tall Boy made himself comfortable.

"Tall Boy, what the hell is this? Why are we here?" Max looked at him, disgusted.

"You're in my house Serpent Queen" a man walked by them. His buttoned down shirt wasn't buttoned, and he had a black and white robe on with ghoul faces on it. Max could spot a Ghoulie from a mile away. "It's the house of the dead, thought you would know this by now."

"I'm sorry and who the hell are you?" Jughead looked at him.

"Take it easy kids, Malachi speaks for the Ghoulies..." Tall Boy explained, leaning back in his seat.

"And why are we breaking bread with some good-for-nothing Ghoulies?!" Max exclaimed at the elder Serpent.

"Careful what you say, Queenie" Malachi pointed to her. "You're on my turf now..." Malachi threatened her, but Max wasn't fazed.

"With the heat on us and our ranks depleted, our tribes need to unite. And that's gonna be easier to do, if you both endorse this partnership" Tall Boy explained.

"I'd rather swallow glass" Max sneered.

"Why us?" Jughead questioned, confused.

"You're FP's son, that carries weight especially with our younger members. And Max, you're Jake Logan's daughter, you're Serpent royalty. The rest of the members will follow you" Tall Boy looked between them.

"Tall Boy! They're the reason Southside High was even raided, them and their Jingle Jangle" Jughead argued.

"Chaos is how we thrive. You better get used to it" Malachi smirked.

"Tall Boy, you can't be serious? FP, my dad, they wouldn't have wanted this! You're supposed to be their right-hand" Max argued.

"Northside declared war today. You're old man ain't here to call the shots. And you're old man god rest his soul, is dead..." Tall Boy stood up. "So yeah, I'm their right hand, that makes me de facto leader here and now. So, things are changing, kids. Either you both change with them or suffer the consequences..." Both Jughead and Max looked at him with anger in their veins.

"Evolve or die, baby. Evolve or die..." Malachi smirked.

 **...**

Later that night, Max was with Jughead and Archie in his trailer. Max was hesitant about joining Archie after everything he had done to the Serpents, especially Sweet Pea. It took all the willpower in the world not to punch Archie right now. But at this point, she was desperate. Max was willing to do whatever it took to get her family back.

As Max and Archie glared daggers at each other, Jughead was busy ranting. "This isn't an alliance with the Ghoulies, this is a hostile takeover!" Jughead paced back and forth. "God, who knows how long Tall Boy was been planning on betraying us! Maybe we stall until Sweet Pea and Toni get out..."

"How long?" Max spoke out. "The more time we waste, the more Serpents are getting tossed in jail. We're running out of options, Jug."

"I just hope they would rather go to war with the Ghoulies than start..."

"Jughead..." Archie tried to get his attention.

"... dealing Jingle Jangle" Max sighed. "They would never go for it."

"Jughead, you joined the Serpents to keep the peace and they mean a lot to Max-" Archie started for Jughead to cut him off. "Our dads would never sit back and let this happen! Neither will we!" Jughead shouted angrily. "So unless you have a better idea, either of you-"

"Not me..." Archie thought.

"FP..." Max finished his sentence.

The three of them exchanged looks before making their way to Shankshaw Penitentiary. FP has had years of experience dealing with the Ghoulies. He could be the one that can put a stop to this.

 **...**

Jughead, Max, and Archie stared at FP from the opposite side of the glass. Archie and Jughead each had a phone in their hands as Max sat in between them.

"Start from the beginning, kids..." FP sighed, noticing Jughead wearing a Serpent jacket and Max sitting in between them. FP thought he would see the world end or hell freeze over first, before seeing Max in the same vicinity of a Northsider. FP was surprised that Archie didn't have a black eye.

"Hey, you can reprimand me for joining the Serpents later, but if we don't do something there will be no Serpents" Jughead told his father what Tall Boy was up to.

"He's right FP. If this happens, it'll just be Ghoulies and the Serpents will cease to exist. We can't let that happen, _you_ won't let that happen" Max pleaded to the man that became a father figure to her.

FP just leaned his head on his hand, trying to understand how all this happened. For better or for worse, FP was a Serpent. The Serpents gave FP a home and a family. The Serpents also gave him his best friend, that gave his life to the Southside. Pounding his phone against the glass, FP was livid. "Ghoulies dress like fops, but they're a nasty crew. Serpents have survived worse though. Max you've seen it, much worse. The only hitch is, it sounds like you both are outmanned. Which means you gotta avoid bloodshed at all costs."

"I agree, 100%" Archie agreed.

"So, out think 'em. This is about territory. If there's one thing Ghoulies love, it's their crazy souped up retro cars and hearses. You catch my Riverdale drift, kids?" FP looked over his shoulder, to make sure no one was listening in on him. "Challenge them to a street race, one on one, Max and Jug. Keep it on the DL though, it's illegal. It'll get you locked up, both of you. I don't wanna see you two end up like me..."

"Go on..." Jughead insisted.

"Set the terms of the race. If their guy wins, Serpents roll over..."

"And if we win, Ghoulies back off" Jughead understood what his dad was implying.

FP nodded, "And maybe you raise the stakes. Whoever wins, controls Southside High..."

"And we get rid of the Ghoulies, we get rid of the Jingle Jangle, and we're off Mayor McCoy's radar" Max smirked.

 **...**

Later that night, Jughead, Max and Archie went back to the Ghoulie Den. Armed with a plan, Jughead and Max were ready to take the fight to the Ghoulies. The two of them weren't gonna give up the Serpent name without a fight. That's not what their fathers would've wanted.

"Me and my guys, we want a challenge you to a race. If we win, this Serpent/Ghoulie alliance is not happening and you guys quit dealing at Southside High" Max challenged them.

"And if we= win?" Malachi asked her.

"We fold, and you will continue polluting the Southside with your little straw of death" Jughead added.

"So the might Queen Serpent and the Serpent Prince have some stones, but not much else. So unless your highnesses want to put some of daddy's territory out on the table..." Malachi glared at Jughead. "I got no reason to be in this race." Before Malachi could even finish, everyone's head turned when a Ghoulie dragged in Betty and Veronica. Max's eyes widened when she noticed the significant others of Archie and Jughead in the Ghoulie Den.

"Veronica?" "Betty?" Archie and Jughead questioned at the same time.

"Jughead?" "Archie?" Betty and Veronica questioned as well.

"What are you doing here?" the four of them asked in unison, as Max pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. She wasn't thrilled that two more Northsiders were getting involved in Southside affairs.

"Wait? So these are your bitches?" Malachi pointed to them.

"I beg your misogynistic pardon" Veronica scoffed, clearly offended.

"Don't even talk! You shouldn't even be here!" Max shouted at them, making them shrink back.

"Why don't you take your skanks and get the hell out of here" Malachi glared at them. "Until you two make me a better offer, there will be no race..."

Max just stood quietly, trying to figure out what to do. Max needed this race to happen, or else the Serpents would be out of commission permanently. Max would rather die than become a Ghoulie.

"If you win, we'll give you the Whyte Wyrm, you can expand your drug-dealing horizons and upgrade out this literal hellhole" Jughead stated, facing off against Malachi.

"We'll take the Wyrm and Sunnyside Trailer Park" Malachi smirked. Max just stood there wide eyed. Jughead wasn't going to actually agree to those terms.

"Jug..." before Max could protest, Jughead shook Malachi's hand. "Deal..."

Anger flooded through Max's veins as she grabbed Jughead by the collar and dragged him out of the Ghoulie Den, with Archie, Betty, and Veronica not too far behind them. Once they were outside, Max shoved Jughead with all her strength. "What the hell Jughead! Sunnyside was not part of the plan!"

"What else was I supposed to do! We need this race to happen or we become Ghoulies!" Jughead rationalized.

"So, you're willing to put our home at risk?" Max got in Jughead's face. "Some of the people living there aren't even Serpents. You're willing to put those people on the street for our battle? Do you realize how selfish that is?"

"Max, he's just trying to help" Betty spoke up, trying to defend Jughead.

"You, just shut up!" Max glared at her. "You two shouldn't even be here. This is Serpent business and it doesn't concern you Northsiders!" Max reprimanded them for getting involved in business that didn't concern them. The severity of the situation hit Max like a ton of bricks. Max turned her attention back to Jughead. "And you, if you're serious about bartering the Wyrm and Sunnyside, we can't lose..."

"We won't..." Jughead reassured her.

"Well, then we're gonna need some wheels..." Max took out a set of keys from her jacket and tossing them to Jughead.

"What is this?" Jughead looked down at the keys.

"What we're racing in..." Max walked away with Jughead, Archie, Veronica and Betty following her. Once they got to her trailer, Max went straight to her garage. Pulling off a tarp, Max revealed her late mother's Camaro. Miranda had an obsession with classic cars. Max could remember the long car drives her family had in this car. This Camaro held some special memories for Max.

"Whoa" Jughead looked in awe at her car. "Is this yours?"

"It was my mom's, but I've been working on it. She had a thing for classic cars" Max opened the hood of her Camaro. "If we're gonna beat the Ghoulies, we need everything we've got..."

 **...**

Later that night, Max was sitting at her kitchen table, mentally preparing herself for what tomorrow would bring. Tomorrow, everything could change. She not only would become a Ghoulie, but she could lose the places that were truly home to her. Max wasn't going to lose her name and her home without a fight.

As Max sat there in her thoughts, she heard knocks at her door. Confused and somewhat irritated, Max answered the door, ready to chew out whoever was at her trailer. But Max would swallow her words when she saw Sweet Pea on the other side.

"Sweet Pea..." Max breathed out.

"Miss me?" Sweet Pea smirked only to be met with a sock in the shoulder. "Ow, what was that for?" Sweet Pea rubbed his shoulder.

Max threw her arms around Sweet Pea, burying her face in his shoulder. "Don't ever leave me again..."

Relaxing into the hug, Sweet Pea snaked his arms around Max's waist. Sweet Pea wasn't planning to leave Max anytime soon...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, it seems like the Serpents and the Ghoulies are about to go head to head. The Serpents have everything to gain and everything to lose. It's also that bad that Max is willing to play nice with a Northsider.  
** **Max definitely happy that Jughead put Sunnyside Trailer Park and the Whyte Wyrm on the line. Do you think it's fair that Jughead is willing to put innocent people on the street for the Serpents' war?  
In addition, Max has an impressive track record for only being 16 years old.  
** **Also was Max's outbursts on Betty and Veronica justified? Or were they simply getting involved in business that didn't concern them?  
Overall, what do you guy's think of Max taking on a leadership role with Jughead in this chapter?  
What do you guys think of this update? Yay or Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	10. Let the Race Begin!

**Author's Note:** **I hope you guys are having a great day! Also, are you guys as hyped for Riverdale coming back as I am?! I have watched the teaser probably a million times already and I am so excited! Other than that, please review and lemme know what you guys think of the story and what you guys wanna see moving forward!  
** **In this chapter, Max, Jughead, and Archie take on the Ghoulies in a race with everything on the line. But things don't go according to plan. Also, Max/Sweet Pea hit a major milestone in their relationship.  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _Honor isn't just something, it's everything_ _..._ "

 **...**

Chapter IX. Let the Race Begin...

It was high noon and the Serpents were getting ready to race against the Ghoulies. Despite it being sweltering hot, Max was wearing her Serpent jacket. Max was doing some last minute checks on her Camaro to make sure it ran perfectly. There was a lot riding on this race. The Serpents had everything to gain in the race and everything to lose. Max wasn't going to give up the Serpents and her home without a fight.

As Max bent over to check the engine of her car, she heard whistles behind her. It was no secret that Max was beautiful, and she owned it. Max wasn't a prude. She wasn't afraid to show off her body because she knew she looked good. Max also wasn't above using her body to get what she wants, caring less what people think. Max thought of her body as a weapon that she could use however she pleased.

Standing up, Max noticed a few Northsiders present, most likely to support Archie. Max was very apprehensive about letting Northsiders in Southside business. But at this point, she had more important things to think about. All Max was hoping was that these Northsiders knew their place and watched themselves.

Rolling her eyes, Max kept working until she felt someone stand next to her. Max didn't even need to look to know that it was Sweet Pea. "How's it looking?"

"She's ready to go" Max closed the hood of her car. "I'm ready to kick some Ghoulie ass."

"Those idiots won't see it coming" Sweet Pea smirked as Tall Boy shouted, "Let's do this!"

"Maybe afterwards, we can talk?" Sweet Pea scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah, we have a lot to talk about" Max chuckled as Sweet Pea kissed her cheek.

"What was that for?"

"For good luck, not like you need it..."

"Let's do it! Get these cars up on to road!" Tall Boy announced. Smiling, Max gave Sweet Pea one more kiss on the cheek before heading to the driver's seat of her car.

Staring Malachi down, Max got into her car with Jughead next to her and Archie in the backseat. Max smiled when she saw that Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Toni were cheering her on. Sweet Pea gave her a wink, earning a playful eye roll from Max before driving up to the starting line.

"She'll be fine" Toni smiled.

"Huh?" Sweet Pea turned his head to her.

"For a Serpent, Max can race a car better than any Ghoulie. She's got this" Toni reassured Sweet Pea, before getting up to the start the race.

Once she parked her car at the starting line, Max got out to face Malachi. Shaking his hand, Malachi smirked. "I get you're the Serpent Queen and all, but shouldn't Jones be the one driving?"

"Race over Herk Harvey Bridge to Dead Man's Curve, first one back here wins" Max glared a hole through him.

Once Max got back to her car, she took in a deep breath before sharing a glance with Jughead. Tightening her leather gloves, Max started revving up her car. As Toni was about to start the race, Max couldn't help but laugh when she was overrun by a redheaded Northsider that had legs for days.

"Engines warm and ready?" she smirked. "Gentlemen? Lady?"

Max nodded as she revved up her car, as the Northsider gave the signal for both of them to go. Max slammed on the gas, making Archie and Jughead lean back into their seats. The rush of racing made a smirk grow on Max's face. Max could race with the best of them, but after getting busted by the cops, she decided to hang up her racing gloves.

As Max got the lead, the Ghoulies kept crashing their car into her's. "Hang on, boys" Max told them as she crashed her cars into theirs to get even.

The Ghoulies managed to get the lead, as they came up on the bridge. As Max started to speed up, Archie spoke up, "Max, Jughead, we're coming up on the bridge."

"We know, Max's got this" Jughead nodded.

"It's too narrow for both of us, guys" Archie rationalized only to be ignored. "Guys, we should abort."

"And, let them win? Not a chance in hell" Max sped up.

"Guys, we'll both crash on that bridge!"

"The Serpents are joining the Ghoulies over my dead body, Archie!" Jughead shouted.

"Might be the smartest thing you've said Jones" Max agreed as she slammed harder on the gas.

"I'm sorry guys, but I'm not down for those terms" Archie shook his head, leaning forward and pulling the emergency brake.

Max's car quickly swerved, before stopping right in front of the bridge. Max and Jughead looked over at Archie with daggers in their eyes. The three of them quickly got out to see the Ghoulies crossing Herk Harvey Bridge

"Why would you do that?!" Jughead shouted, grabbing Archie's jacket while Max kicked a tire in anger.

"Trust me, guys. You both are gonna thank me for this..." Archie told them.

Hearing sirens, Max and Jughead exchanged looks, before running up the bridge with Archie not too far behind them. "Jug! Max! Stop!"

When they to Dead Man's Curve, the three of saw Sheriff Kellar and several of his deputies blocking the street. Malachi was stopped as Kellar was ready to arrest him. "Come on, both of you. We gotta go, come on!" Archie told them as they ran back to Max's car.

As Max started up her car, all she could do was stare a hole at Archie. Max was really starting to question why Archie was even involved in this.

 **...**

"Everyone scatter! The cops are rounding up Ghoulies!" a Ghoulie yelled, making every Ghoulie present flee from the scene. As Max, Jughead, and Archie arrived, Tall Boy stormed over to them.

"You called the cops, Jones! You won't throw in with the Ghoulies but you'll work with the cops! Where's the honor in that!" Tall Boy shouted in Jughead's face, clearly pissed. Tall Boy had known Max long enough to know that she would never do that.

"Calm down, Tall Boy. You think we knew Keller was going to be there?!" Jughead shouted back.

"I called Keller..." Archie revealed.

"What the hell, Archie!" Jughead faced off against his Northside friend. Max just stood there, glaring at Archie. If looks could kill, Archie would be ten feet under already. Max was really starting regret involving Archie in Southside business. The Southside didn't play by Northside rules. It definitely didn't help that the Serpents didn't have the warmest with the Kellar and the cops. "Did my dad tell you about this too?"

"No, it was my idea to get rid of the Ghoulies and it worked! They get arrested for street racing and now they're off the chess board" Archie explained.

"For how long, huh? One month? Three months? You know what they're gonna want on the other side, your head on a stake! All of ours!" Jughead shoved Archie.

Max just stood there, livid. "I was trying to help..." Archie reasoned out. Wiping her mouth, Archie was met with a fist to his jaw.

"Archie!" Veronica went to her boyfriend's side. "Are you okay?

"Remember that the next time you think of getting involved in Serpent business. Don't come crying to us when the Ghoulies decide to make an example out of your ass!" Max shouted in Archie's face. "And the next time you think of involving your Northsider in Southside business, don't!" Max glared at Jughead, before getting into her car with Sweet Pea.

 **...**

Later that night, Max and Sweet Pea were at the quarry, having a beer. After the race, Max was just hoping that this wasn't going to come back and bite the Serpents in the butt. Max knew the Ghoulies all too well, and even though they were in jail, they weren't going to take this lying down. In their minds, the Serpents were the ones that got them locked up.

"You kicked ass today" Sweet Pea smiled as he sat next to Max on the hood of her car.

"Yeah, was that before or after we got busted by the cops?" Max chuckled humorlessly as Sweet Pea's Serpent jacket hung off her shoulders. "I can't believe that Northsider involved the cops. I could've won."

"I know, you would have" Sweet Pea chuckled. "That Northsider is just that stupid. We don't play by their rules."

"Thanks for being there today, it means a lot to me" Max looked down at her feet.

"You know, I would always have your back" Sweet Pea scratched the back of his neck.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Max fiddled with her fingers, nervously. Max was normally a very confident young woman. It was very rare that she showed her nerves. But when it came to her feelings, it was a whole other ball game. Max had no idea where this conversation would go.

"I'm real bad at this, but I just wanna tell you how I feel" Sweet Pea took a deep breath. "I know you have a lot of things happening with Rafe, but I just can't be your friend..."

"What do you mean?" Max looked up at him.

"I want to be _more_ than just your friend. I want to be with you..." Sweet Pea took Max's hand.

"Sweet Pea, I don't know how any of this works. I've never been with a guy as more than just my friend..." Max meekly admitted. "I don't want to mess this up, I don't want to lose you."

"We'll figure this out together, I just want to be with you" Sweet Pea cupped her cheek. "I want you..."

Max smiled, leaning into his cheek. Max doesn't remember the last time she has felt comfort. "You're so corny, Sweets..."

"Only for you" Sweet Pea smirked as he brought her lips to his. Smiling against the kiss, Max snaked her hands around Sweet Pea's neck, tangling her hands in his hair. Slowly pulling away, Max kept her forehead on Sweet Pea's. "You're my girl, Max..."

"I'm your girl..." Max repeated. "I like the sound of that."

Max has never really let a guy into her world before. But if it had to be any guy, Max was glad that it was Sweet Pea...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, even though the race didn't go exactly as planned, the Ghoulies are out of commission at this moment. Do you think the Ghoulies are going to go down quietly? Or is this gonna come back and bite the Serpents in the foot? Also, do you think Archie did the right thing by calling the police? Max and Jughead don't think so. BTW, I think Max totally could've won that race!  
Also, Max and Sweet Pea are making progress. You guys have seen Max as this confident, badass but this a more vulnerable side of her that we won't see too often. But what do you guys think of their conversation and what do you guys wanna see from them moving forward?  
Finally, what do you guys think of this chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/All feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	11. Lost and Found

**Author's Note: I hope everyone is having a great day! I don't know if you guys are as psyched as I am, but Riverdale comes back tonight! Even though I have my night class tonight, I'm gonna Fast & Furious it home so I can catch the premiere. I just watched the trailer for the millionth time and binged the second season, and I am ready. What are you guys most excited for the second half of Season 2?  
With this update, I wanted to do something a little bit different. Since Jughead/Archie are centered around this episode, I wanted to give Max her own moment. This episode is also the start of a storyline surrounding Max/Black Hood.  
In this chapter, Max gets a mysterious check in the mail that sends her to the Northside...  
Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _I don't base myself on who I am at this very moment...  
_ _I am who I am because of who came before me..._ "

 **...**

Chapter X. Lost & Found

 **...**

Max was in her trailer, counting up all the money she had saved. With the holidays coming up soon, Max wanted to see how much money she had to spend on Rafe. Money was always tight, so Max didn't have the luxury to spend money on unnecessary things. And even when she did have extra money, Max always spent it on Rafe. With bills to pay, Max wasn't sure if she had enough money to buy Rafe presents for Christmas this year. Max wanted to be able to give her little brother everything he wanted, but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

Whatever extra money Max did manage to save, she created a groundhog fund, emergency money she needed in case of life or death situations. Max had only used the groundhog fund a handful of times. She kept that fund underneath her mattress so no one would find it, a skill she learned from FP. Max didn't really trust banks. As Max worked on the groundhog fund, Rafe came running into the house, waving the mail in the air.

"Max! Look what we got!" Rafe waved an envelope in the air.

"What?" Max smiled.

"We got a check!"

"What?" Max looked at him confused as Rafe handed her the envelope. Max opened the envelope to reveal a check for $10,000. Max couldn't believe what she saw. This is the most money she had ever seen in her life. "Who is this from?"

"I have no idea, but isn't this great!" Rafe smiled. "This solves everything." Rafe was aware of their money issues. Rafe first noticed this when his classmates got nicer things than he did. He even though he was young, Rafe wasn't blind.

"Rafe, I don't know if we should take this. This may not be ours..." Max rationalized. Max hasn't done anything to warrant anyone giving her this kind of money. Max has been around long enough to know that money like this never came without a hitch. Money like this never came to the Southside. Max couldn't spend money that wasn't her's.

"But it was addressed to us..."

"Okay, how about this? I hold onto this and make sure it's legit. And if it is, then we'll keep it. Agreed?" Nodding his head, Max kissed the top of Rafe's head before placing the check in her jacket. Max _wanted_ to believe that this check was a gesture of good will to her and her brother, but she _couldn't_.

 **...**

Later that afternoon, Max was at the Whyte Wyrm, having a beer and just staring at that check. Max has been living on stolen coupons and food stamps for as long as she could remember. Max doesn't remember the last time she had come across money, especially money like this.

"Hey, you..." Sweet Pea came up to her, kissing the side of her head.

"Still have to get used to that" Max chuckled as she leaned up to kiss Sweet Pea. Max wasn't used to seeing this affectionate side of Sweet Pea. But that didn't mean that she didn't enjoy it.

"You better. You're my girl, gotta make sure that everyone knows" Sweet Pea sat next to her. "What are you doing?"

"Me and Rafe got this check in the mail. I don't know if I should be thrilled or freaked out" Max revealed to Sweet Pea.

"Why don't you just pocket it?" Sweet Pea smirked.

"Because money like this doesn't come without a hitch" Max breathed out. "The last thing I need is someone coming after us for taking something that doesn't belong to us..."

Picking up the check, Sweet Pea saw a logo on the upper left hand corner. " _Hart Oil Company_..." Sweet Pea read. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"I've heard of that name, all of Riverdale's oil supply comes from that place." Along with Lodge Industries, Hart Oil Company was one of the biggest industries out of Riverdale. Hart Oil Company was worth millions in money and stock. Hart Oil backs numerous businesses in Riverdale and all over the United States.

"Why would they send you guys a check for that kind of money?"

"Why don't we go ask? There's an address on here" Max took the check. "You up for a trip to the Northside?"

"To bash in some Northside head's? I'm in" Sweet Pea smiled at her.

"If it comes to that" Max gave him a wry smile.

 **...**

Later that afternoon, Max and Sweet Pea were pulling up to Hart Oil Company in the center of the Northside. As they approached the front door, Max and Sweet Pea looked up at the tall building, that reached up into the sky. That building looked larger than life in person.

"Ready?" Sweet Pea asked her.

"As ready as I'll ever be..." Max breathed out as they walked inside.

As the two young Serpents walked into the building, they were met with many looks. It was clear that the both of them didn't belong, and the Northsiders went out of their way to make them feel it. Rolling her eyes, Max walked up to the front desk. Max needed answers and she was going to get them.

"I need to speak to whoever's in charge" Max demanded from the receptionist.

"I'm sorry, but if you wish to speak to Mr. Hart you need an appointment" the receptionist told them, not even bothering to look up at them.

"I don't think you heard her, she said she needs to talk to whose in charge" Sweet Pea growled, pounding the desk, getting the receptionist's attention. The sound echoed throughout the building, making everyone stop and look their way.

"I'm sorry, but I can't-" she gulped. Even though Max and Sweet Pea were teenagers, they struck fear into her heart. This was a trait befitting of every Southside Serpent.

"Marion..." a voice spoke out. Max and Sweet Pea looked over to see an elderly man coming over to them.

"Mr. Hart, I was just telling these two kids..." the receptionist talked, only for him to put his hand up, signaling for her to stop talking.

"It's okay" he smiled before turning his attention to Max and Sweet Pea. "Would you two like to come to my office so we can chat?"

Nodding their heads, Max and Sweet Pea followed the elderly man into his office. Max looked at Sweet Pea with an uneasy expression. Max had no idea what she was walking in to, but she was glad that she had Sweet Pea by her side.

Once they entered this office, Max took all of it in. This office was bigger than her entire trailer. "Would you two like something to drink?" he asked them.

"Look, I'll just cut to the chase" Max spoke out. "Mr. Hart-"

"Please, Nathaniel" he corrected her as he poured himself a glass of whiskey. That whiskey alone probably cost more than anything Max owned.

"Okay, don't care" Max rolled her eyes. "Look, I think there's some kind of mistake. You sent this check to my trailer this morning..."

"Believe me, it's not a mistake" Nathaniel cut her off. "That check is for you..."

"Look, what's the catch?" Max glared at him. "If you need us to off someone-"

"No catch" Nathaniel put his hand up. "That money is for you. You probably need that money more than I do..."

"What the hell does that mean?" Max raised her eyebrow, incredulously.

"You come from the Southside right? I would imagine that money is scarce" Nathaniel drank his whiskey. "I would believe that money could do you some good"

"Well you know, crap" Max barked. "I know you Northsiders. None of you wouldn't do anything for the Southside out of the goodness of your heart. So, if this money is dirty, then I don't want it" Max tried to hand the check to him, only for him to deny it.

"Is it so hard to believe that I want to do something nice for you?"

"Yes!" Max exclaimed. "I don't need a Northsider's charity!"

"Believe me, I know who you are Ms. Logan. There's nothing wrong with asking for a little help..." Nathaniel smiled at her. Max was having a hard time figuring out if the smile was a cover or is genuinely sincere.

"She's got all the help she needs" Sweet Pea stepped up for Max. Sweet Pea did not appreciate how condescending Nathaniel was acting towards Max.

"What help can a bunch of criminals give her?" Nathaniel glared at Sweet Pea.

Angry, Sweet Pea was about to rush at Nathaniel but Max stopped him.

"These _criminals_ are my family, the best people I know. They're all I need, and I don't need you." Max defended the Serpents. "As for your money..." Max took out her lighter and started burning the check, before placing it in the ashtray. "I don't need it."

Before Nathaniel could speak, an elderly woman came into his office, most likely his wife. "Nathaniel-" she spoke, before noticing Max and Sweet Pea. The minute she laid her eyes on Max, it was like the wind was knocked out of her. It was like she had a seen a ghost.

"Olivia, do you need anything? I'm in the middle of something..." Nathaniel smiled at her.

"Don't worry, we were just leaving" Max left the office as Sweet Pea glared a hole at the elderly man.

Once they were gone, Olivia glared at Nathaniel. "Why was she here?"

"I wanted to help her" Nathaniel breathed out, sitting at his desk. "It's the least we owe them after everything we've done..."

"I don't regret what we did. She did that to herself, she deserved everything she got..." Olivia leaned over his desk.

"How can you say that?" Nathaniel faced off against his wife.

"Because we gave her a _choice_ , she just chose wrong..." Olivia sneered. "I don't regret anything, neither should you..." With that said, Olivia left Nathaniel's office. Letting out a deep sigh, Nathaniel opened his drawer and took out a framed photo. The photo was of Olivia and Nathaniel, and a young woman that closely resembles Max...

 **...**

Later that night, Max was outside with Rafe and Sweet Pea, sitting on couch she took from the junkyard. Max just wanted to forget about her little encounter with the pretentious Northsiders. Max has been getting by on her own for several years, she didn't need any help especially from Nathaniel Hart.

"I can't believe you burned a $10,000 check" Sweet Pea chuckled, wrapping an arm around Max as she leaned into him.

"Was that smart or really stupid?" Max chuckled, as Rafe slept with his head in her lap while a can fire burned in front of them.

"Both, why did you do that? That money could've done some real good, for you and Rafe..."

"I... I just couldn't. If I'm gonna look out for myself, take care of Rafe, I'd rather do it on my own terms" Max revealed to Sweet Pea. "Taking that money, it just didn't feel right."

"I get it. The Northside has been looking down on us for years, they would never have a change of heart overnight..."

"Thanks for coming with me today, I don't know if I could've done it on my own" Max looked up at him.

"It's nothing, you know I would never let you do anything on your own" Sweet Pea smiled down at her, kissing her forehead. Leaning into Sweet Pea's chest, Max enjoyed some time with two of her favorite people. Max would've wanted this moment to last forever, but with Riverdale's track record that wasn't going to happen.

As they sat there, in the distance there was something watching them. Taking his camera out, he took pictures of Max and Rafe. Once he got enough pictures, he left...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well there are few things to unpack here, but I will say this, I could just imagine Sweet Pea/Rafe/Max sitting on a couch on her lawn with a can fire and I think it's adorable. They could be their own little family hahaha. As well as that creepy stalker taking pictures of them. I will tell you this, it isn't who you think it is. Who do you guys think the creeper is?  
** **So, Max comes face to face with probably one of the richest men in Riverdale (maybe second to Hiram Lodge). What do you guys think of his gesture to giving Max all that money? As well as Max burning that check? Stupid? Admirable? While I admire Max wanting to take care of Rafe on her own terms, there is no denying that she needs help.  
Also, what do you guys make of the conversation Nathaniel had with his wife? Right away, his wife seems insane but what do you guys think of them? Who do you guys think they are?  
This chapter really sets things up for Max's biggest storyline outside of the Serpents.  
Finally, what do you guys think of the chapter as whole? Yay or nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review!**


	12. It's A Mad World

**Author's Note: I hope everyone is having a great day!  
Now, I know what you guys are thinking? Why is she updating outside of her regular schedule? In honor of Riverdale's premiere yesterday, I wanted to give you guys another update! Also, did you guys see the premiere yesterday? It was pretty intense! I don't wanna give too much away for those of you who didn't see it! I will say this, Hiram Lodge is a diabolical genius lol. Also, this premiere really sets it up for what I have for this story moving forward. What did you guys like about the premiere last night? What was your guys favorite moment?  
For this update, FP is a free man again and is walking away from the Southside Serpents.  
Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

"You _can try to walk away from this world, but at the end of the day, it will always be a part of you..._ "

 **...**

Chapter XI. It's a Mad World

It was another day on the Southside and a bunch of the Serpents were hanging out at the Whyte Wyrm. Sitting on Sweet Pea's lap, Max was enjoying a beer with some of her favorite people.

"When did this happen?" Toni chuckled, pointing to the two of them.

"It's still pretty new" Max smirked as she felt Sweet Pea snake an arm around her waist.

"I can't believe Sweet Pea _actually_ got a girl" Toni chuckled at the idea of her two best friends getting together.

"Believe it Topaz" Sweet Pea smirked.

Toni was a very observant person, and she could immediately see the change in Max's demeanor. Max was normally a very guarded, high strung person. She rarely ever smiled or showed any kind of emotion. The only emotion she really ever showed was anger. But Sweet Pea brought out a side of her so effortlessly. Now, Max was more open... even happier. Even though it would take some getting used to, Toni was happy that her best friend found someone that made her happy. Someone that distracted her from the never-ending problems in her world.

As they all hung out, Jughead walked into the Wyrm with a smile on his face. This one of rare times that Max had ever seen Jughead smile. "I have a special announcement to make, my dad's getting out." Max smiled from ear to ear as cheers were heard throughout the Whyte Wyrm. "And when he does, I'll bring him up to speed on our plans with Mayor McCoy..."

"That's brilliant" Tall Boy muttered, slamming his drink on the table.

"Do you have a problem with that, Tall Boy?" Jughead asked him.

"With your old man? No..." Tall Boy walked up to Jughead. "I got no problem with him, but you want us to sit down with the Mayor..."

"I do, he's right." Jughead nodded. "I think we can bring the Southside back, and it's going to take work and it's going to take compromise..."

Hearing Jughead say that, Tall Boy couldn't help but laugh in his face. "Bring the Southside back? You've been here all of five minutes."

Jughead scoffed, "You know what, Tall Boy? I'm sick of you acting like a little bitch." Max couldn't help but let out a laugh. It was clear that Jughead had been spending too much time with her. "Whispering behind my back that I'm half a Serpent. Or that I don't belong here. Why don't we put it to a vote? If you guys think what I'm doing is wrong, I'll step aside..."

"All those who stand with Jughead and think that Tall Boy should shut the hell up..." Toni stood up for Jughead, raising her hand. It was clear that Jughead had made an impression on the Serpents.

Without thinking twice, Max stood up and raised her hand, showing her support for Jughead. Shortly after her, Sweet Pea stood up and raised his hand too. Even though, they have had their differences, there was no denying that Sweet Pea respects Jughead and what he strives to accomplish. "Looks like it's unanimous, Tall Boy" Max smirked.

"You're seriously on board with this?" Tall Boy looked at Max incredulously. Tall Boy had known Max for years and the fact that she was on board with diplomacy as opposed to brute force, surprised him. Violence and force was a past time for the Serpents.

"I'm on board with the Southside mattering. And how we've been doing things hasn't been working" Max glared at him. Upset, Tall Boy left as Jughead gave Max a smile. Jughead appreciated that the Serpents had his back, and were on board with what he was trying to accomplish.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence" Jughead walked up to Max and Sweet Pea.

"Don't mention it, Jones..."

"I'm gonna go see my dad, you wanna come?" Smiling, Max nodded her head. Max was more than willing to share in FP's first moments as a free man.

 **...**

Waiting outside Shankshaw Penitentiary, Jughead, Max, and Betty were waiting for FP. After serving his debt to society, Max was happy to see the man that had become a father to her finally earn back his freedom. As they waited, the three of them were all smiles when they saw FP coming out.

Smiling, FP brought his son into his arms. FP was finally happy to be reunited with his son, and this time nothing and no one was gonna keep them apart. "Hey, Betty" FP smiled at his son's girlfriend.

"Hi, Mr. Jones" Betty greeted him as FP's eyes landed on Max.

Smiling from ear to ear, FP walked up to the young woman and greeted her with a hug. During his time in incarceration, Max was FP's connection to the outside world. She made his lock up a lot more bearable with her visits. And for that he was grateful. "You've been staying out of trouble?" FP smirked at her, knowing Max's track record all too well.

"Been trying" Max smiled.

"Thanks for looking out for Jug, I appreciate it" FP shook her shoulder.

"I did promise you" Max smiled.

Smirking, FP looked to see Betty's mother and old friend of his: Alice Cooper waiting. "Alice..." FP acknowledged her.

"Is it true what they say about men that have just been released from prison, FP?" Alice stood with her arms crossed.

"What do they say?"

"That they are incredibly sexually frustrated?"

"Mom!" Betty glared at her mother.

"Wow" Jughead droned on.

"Well, that's my cue to leave. I'll see you later FP" Max turned to the Serpent leader.

"You don't wanna join us for lunch" FP invited Max out with them.

"Thanks for the invite FP, but I can only handle Northsiders in very limited doses..." Max looked at Betty and her mother. "... and they probably feel the same way about me. But I'll see you guys later." With that said, Max left so FP could spend some time with Jughead. Max didn't want to deprive FP some time to spend with his son.

 **...**

Heading back to Whyte Wyrm, Max headed straight to the bar. "Gin and tonic" Max ordered.

"How's FP doing?" Toni asked, mixing up her drink.

"He's looking good, glad that he's finally out" Max breathed out, taking a big gulp of her drink. "It's gonna be battle now that he's out. His reputation is already ruined..."

"It's nothing FP can't handle" Toni smiled. "He's made it through worse, we all have."

Nodding her head, Max knew that Toni was right. FP has gone through hell and back, making it out stronger. This was just another obstacle he had to make it through. FP wasn't going to let this hold him back.

"Did you hear?" Toni asked.

"Hear what?" Max looked at her confused.

"FP's thinking of walking away from the Serpents."

"Can't say that I'm surprised" Max breathed out. "As much as I wanna believe that FP was gonna be Serpent forever, that was never gonna be the case..."

"You alright with it?" Toni was aware how close Max was with FP. She was curious about her best friend's headspace.

"I... mean... do I want him to stay? More than anything, but this is his choice to make. Whatever he decides to do, I'll support him. I know he'd do the same for me" Max smiled.

"Look..." Toni motioned to the door to see Betty walking in and over to them.

"Hi" Betty greeted them.

"What can we do for you?" Toni asked her.

"Well, you guys have probably heard but FP's retiring from the Serpents. And me and Jughead were thinking of throwing a party for him" Betty smiled.

"Only seems right" Toni smiled, on board with the idea.

"You have a stage, would you be open for me bringing in a karaoke machine?" Betty suggested.

"For FP's retirement?" Max chuckled. "I'm on board."

"Yeah, why not?" Toni smiled.

"Also guys, one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you guys beyond the party planning is I've been walking the razor's edge since Jughead joined the Serpents..." Betty breathed out. "All I've been thinking is, as soon as FP gets home, everything will be better. Because, he'll be there to protect Jughead to make sure he doesn't get hurt."

"Yeah, I'm following you. With FP out of the picture-" Toni agreed.

"That's my whole point. I _do_ worry..." Betty expressed concern for Jughead's safety.

"But, you have to understand. Whether FP is a Serpent or not, people are still gonna go after Jughead because people know who he is" Max told her.

"That's what I'm trying to say. I want to keep an eye on Jughead, myself..." Betty revealed. "Make sure that as deep into these snake infested waters as he goes, he doesn't do something that... you know puts him in danger."

"So what? You wanna be a Serpent?" Toni asked amused, only to be met with silence.

"Oh god, she's serious" Max looked at Betty.

"Let's say, Serpent-adjacent" Betty said. "But yeah, part of his world..."

Their conversation was cut off by laughing of a resident Serpent, that overheard everything they were talking about. "Hey, Byrdie! Mind your business!" Max glared at her.

"Sorry darling, you wanna join the club? You gotta do the dance, the Serpent dance..."

"Excuse me?" Betty asked. "Serpent dance?"

"It's an outdated sexist Serpent tradition!" Toni said, frustrated. "I tried to get it outlawed, misogyny dies hard..."

"What Toni's trying to say is, that's different for girls that want be Serpents. Girls have to perform the Serpent dance for the gang. You get the seal of approval from our leader, you're in" Max explained.

"Could you guys show me?" Betty asked them.

"Don't look at me" Max put up her hands.

"You don't know dance?"

"You're looking at the _only_ female Serpent that completed the Serpent Trials" Toni looked at her best friend with pride.

"You're saying, you did everything Jughead did to become a Serpent?" Betty knew that Max was tough but she didn't know she was _that_ tough.

"I carry that as a badge of honor" Max smiled, thinking back to when she was initiated into the Serpents.

"But can you guys still show me? The Serpent dance?" Betty asked them. "I wanna know everything..." Betty looked at the stage.

 **...**

Later that night, Serpents filled the Whyte Wyrm for FP's retirement party. While Max was saddened that FP was walking away from the Southside Serpents, she knew that this decision wasn't easy for him. At the end of the day, FP needed to give Jughead his all and he couldn't do that as a Serpent.

"Pay up, Sweets!" Max smirked as everyone cheered, seeing her beat Sweet Pea at Pool.

Sighing, Sweet Pea took out fifty dollars and handing it to her. Max gladly took the fifty and pocketed it.

"Double or nothing?"

Smirking, Max stood on her tip toes and whispered in his ear, "You're on, rack 'em up..."

Sweet Pea returned the smirk as he racked up the pool balls for another round. As they were about to start another round of pool, _A Mad World_ started playing. Max looked up to see Archie and Veronica started singing. While she hated admitting it, Archie and Veronica weren't that bad. But soon after they started singing, Veronica stormed off the stage with Archie following behind her.

Everyone started booing with Sweet Pea joined in as Max hid her face in his shoulder, snickering.

Hoping to save the night, Betty got up on stage to continue singing the song. As she started singing, Betty started unbuttoning her shirt followed by her skirt, revealing just black lingerie. While Max felt a bit uncomfortable with Betty during the Serpent dance, this was her decision. Max understands where Betty was coming from, in that when it comes to the people she loves, there are no lines Betty wouldn't cross if it meant protecting them especially Jughead.

Max looked up to see Sweet Pea a bit too interested with Betty's Serpent dance. Annoyed, Max took another sip of her drink. As Betty danced on the pole, the crowd went silent. The Serpents couldn't believe that Jughead's prim and proper Northside girlfriend was pole dancing on the Southside.

Once the song ended, FP quickly got on stage and handed Betty his jacket to cover up. Thanking him, Betty walked off the stage. "Let's give her a round of applause!" FP announced. "Show some of that Serpent hospitality we're known for!" FP smiled as the Serpents gave Betty a round of applause.

"You know what? I've been in and out of the Serpents since I was even younger than my son" FP started his speech, pointing to Jughead. "And it's been a wild ride. Good times, bad times, but through it all, the Serpents stuck by my side, while most other people turned their backs on me. My own family included..." FP turned his gaze to his son. "I lost some good people along the way..." FP thought about Jake. "Now, the letter of the law says that I can't be here in the Serpent den. That I can't associate with my friends, my real family, my blood. But I've been thinking about that. And it'll be a cold day in hell before a snake let's a pig tell him what to do. The Northside wants me outta this gang? Well, they better bring a coffin because FP Jones isn't retiring! And I am not going gently into the night! I am here to stay! So, bring the fire!"

When FP said that, Max cheered at the top of her lungs along with Sweet Pea. It looks like their leader, FP Jones wasn't going anywhere.

 **...**

After an _interesting_ retirement party, Max and Sweet Pea were leaving the Whyte Wyrm hand-in-hand. From Betty's Serpent dance to FP pledging his loyalty to the Serpents, all in all it was a good night. "Well, talk about a fun night" Sweet Pea smirked.

"Shut up" Max chuckled. "I'm glad FP's here to stay though. We need him..."

"Me too..." Sweet Pea smiled.

"So... I saw you ogling Jones' girlfriend" Max kicked a rock.

"What? Are you jealous?" Sweet Pea stopped walking, looking down at her with a smirk on his face.

"No..." Max refused to make eye contact with him.

"You're jealous..." Sweet Pea smiled as Max stayed quiet. "Look, I'm not really into blonde Northsiders. I like Southside girls with purple hair..."

Hearing him say that put Max's mind at ease. Maybe she was a bit jealous. Sweet Pea is a good-looking guy and if she saw that, chances are other girls saw that too. When it comes to the things she loves, Max was very territorial. "Rafe is sleeping over at a friend's tonight, I could use some company..." Max wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Sound's good" Sweet Pea kissed her forehead as they headed to Max's trailer.

Once they got there, Max headed to her room. "I'm just gonna get something from my room" Max told him as Sweet Pea headed straight to her fridge.

"Okay" Sweet Pea grabbed a beer. As Sweet Pea took a swing of his beer, he heard a door open. He looked over to see Max leaning against her doorway, clad in black lingerie and his Southside Serpent jacket he had left behind. Slowly walking over to him, Max took Sweet Pea by the jacket and lead him to the living area. Using him as a pole, Max started to dance around him. Grabbing him by the hand, Max pushed him on the couch.

Max whipped her hair around as her hands explored her body. Even though Max never had to do the Serpent Dance, saw it enough times to know it. Swaying her hips, Max ran her fingers through her lilac hair, as Sweet Pea just sat back and enjoyed the show. Placing his hands on her hips, Sweet Pea brought Max into his lap as she straddled his waist.

"Is this all for me?" Sweet Pea smirked as he brought his forehead to Max's.

"I've never been a fan of sharing..." Max snaked her arm's around Sweet Pea's neck, with her fingers playing with his hair, referring to Betty garnering her boyfriend's attention from earlier.

"Don't worry, you're the only girl that's got my eye" Sweet Pea ran his hands all over Max's body as he brought their lips together. Standing up, Sweet Pea carried back to her room before shutting the door behind him. Tonight was an eventful night in more ways than one...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, things are getting hot and heavy ;) But I didn't want to get too hot and heavy, but it seems like Max is very territorial lol. But anyways, what do you guys think of Max and Sweet Pea's relationship? Also, are you guys surprised that Max is the only female Serpent to complete the Serpent Trials?  
** **Also, what do you guys think of FP staying with the Southside Serpents? There is definitely more to this than meets the eye.  
Overall, this update was okay but the next update is hands down one of my favorites thus far  
What do you guys think of this chapter? Yay or nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	13. Get Out of Town

**Author's Note: I hope everyone is having a great day and a fantastic weekend!  
This is hands down probably my favorite chapter that I have ever written for this story so far! In this chapter, you really see Max and Jughead take on leadership roles for the Serpents. Honestly together, they are a team you definitely don't wanna mess with. Other than that, thank you for all the favs/follows! If you guys can, please review! The feedback is important to me and I love talking to you guys.  
In this chapter, as the Serpents get ready for the upcoming holiday, Max and Jughead team up to take out Penny Peabody aka. Snake Charmer once and for all...  
Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _If you think about going against us, you better be ready because we're really good at payback..."_

 **...**

Chapter XII. Get Out of Town...

With Christmas in a few days, Max was in her trailer getting everything ready for the upcoming holiday. This wasn't Max and Rafe's first Christmas without their parents. Ever since their parents died, Max resolved to make every holiday special for Rafe, especially Christmas. Christmas was their family's favorite holiday to spend together, and Max was determined to keep their holiday traditions alive.

As Max strung the lights, Rafe and Sweet Pea came into the trailer with the Christmas tree. "Max, we got the best tree on the lot!" Rafe smiled from ear to ear.

"It's perfect" Max smiled at the tree, as she got the box of ornaments.

"Rafe's got really good taste" Sweet Pea placed the tree in the middle of the living area.

"Thanks for helping out, Sweets. It means a lot to Rafe" Max smiled.

"It's nothing" Sweet Pea snaked an arm around her waist as Max got out another box of her family's old Christmas decorations. "So, you got any mistletoe in there?" Sweet Pea looked in the box, earning an elbow in the gut.

"Stop" Max laughed, as she got out some of her late mother's Christmas decorations. "Christmas has always been Rafe's favorite holiday, and mine too..."

"So, you gonna tell me what you want for Christmas?" Sweet Pea looked down at her.

"Honestly, I haven't even thought about it. I've been so busy looking for something for Rafe, I forgot about myself" Max bitterly chuckled, glancing at Rafe who was decorating the tree.

"You know, it's not a bad thing to think about yourself every once in awhile." Max was always so busy thinking about other people, that she often neglected her own well-being.

"I'll keep that in mind" Max smiled at him. "What time do we have to head to the Wyrm?"

"In a little bit" Sweet Pea looked at his watch.

"Rafe, me and Sweet Pea have to go to the Whyte Wyrm to do some volunteer work. You gonna be okay on your own for a little bit?" Max asked her little brother. Max hated leaving Rafe on her own all the time, but that was the price of being a Serpent. Her Southside Serpent duties took up so much of her time, that Max had to make that extra effort to be a present in Rafe's life.

"I'll be fine, but when you get back can we make Mom's gingerbread together?" Rafe asked her.

"Anything you want" Max kissed the top of Rafe's head.

 **...**

At the Whyte Wyrm, Max and Sweet Pea along with Toni and Fangs were wrapping some gifts to give out later today. Surprisingly, Sweet Pea was doing a better job wrapping the gifts than Max. "Come on, how are you better at this than me?" Max looked at Sweet Pea's gift, that was wrapped to perfection.

"Give me a little credit, Max" Sweet Pea nudged he as Jughead joined them.

"What is all this?"

"Serpent tradition, every year we give back to the Southside" Toni smiled, grabbing some more toys that need to be wrapped. " _Toys for Tots_ , _Meals on Wheels_ , kids and old folks living alone..."

"The Hells Angels do it" Fangs smirked. Although there were moments where the Serpents struck fear into the hearts of many, they made a point to make the Southside a better place.

"We're not all criminals, Jones. Everyone deserves a little holiday cheer" Max smirked at him as she placed a box of wrapped presents by the door, ready to be delivered.

"I'm always down for charitable work" Jughead smirked. "Hey, have you seen my dad?"

"Why aren't you at school?" FP questioned as he walked into the Wyrm with Tall Boy.

"Uh... it's a half day before break."

"Well in that case, you can hold down the fort here, Jug..."

As Jughead and his father talked, Max couldn't help but try to listen in on their conversation. Ever since FP's retirement party, things have been a bit off with the Serpent leader. Max had known FP for years and she knew him better probably than he knew himself. And Max knew when he was hiding something. "You know it's not nice to eavesdrop on people's conversations" Sweet Pea teased her, wrapping a present.

"Shut up" Max nudged him. "'It's just... something's been off with FP since his party. Something's not right."

"It's probably all in your head. I thought you of all people would be happy that FP's staying."

"I am... it's just something is off" Max frowned as FP called out. "Max! You're with us..."

"What?" Max looked at him confused.

"You in or not?" FP raised an eyebrow at her.

Letting out a deep breath, Max stood up, "I'm in..."

Walking out of the Wyrm, FP pulled her to the side to talk to her. "We're making a run for Snake Charmer..." FP whispered to her.

Max's eyes widened, "FP, we don't do that... at least not anymore..." Max was aware of FP as well as her father's history with drugs. FP and Jake were two of the best drug runners in all of the Southside. But after her father died and the mishap with Jason Blossom, FP resolved to get away from Snake Charmer's shady business. Whatever FP thought about Snake Charmer, regardless she was _still_ a Serpent. And Serpents always looked after their own.

"Well, we don't have much a choice" FP shoved his hands in his jacket. "I have a debt to her I need to repay."

"Does this have anything to do with Jughead?" Max crossed her arms. "Is that why you decided to stay?"

"He messed up... bad. Now I have to clean it up."

"Look, don't say that I would ever defend Jughead but when it comes to the people you love, you'll anything" Max breathed out. "Even cross lines you never thought you'd ever cross..."

As FP stood there, Tall Boy called out, "Let's head out..." Nodding their heads, FP and Max followed Tall Boy as they went to meet Penny Peabody. This wasn't Max's first drug run, but she was praying that it was her last.

 **...**

After helping FP and Tall Boy make a run for Penny, Max was headed back to the Wyrm to see Jughead out front, waiting for her. "Where did you and my dad go?" Jughead asked her, no holding back.

"Nice to see you too, Jones" Max joked.

"Max, I'm serious..."

"Look, your dad didn't need to tell me what happened for me to figure it out" Max crossed her arms. "Lemme guess, the Snake Charmer got to you?"

"She played me, she played me hard" Jughead kicked himself. "My dad had a chance to make something out himself and I ruined it. It's like I can't do anything right. Now he has to clean up my mess and there's nothing I can do about it."

"It's a tough spot to be in..."

"Do you trust her? Penny?" Jughead referred to Snake Charmer also known as Penny Peabody.

"I don't trust her any more than I can throw her."

"But she's a Serpent..."

"Do you know why they call her the Snake Charmer?" Max asked. "Because, she can bend Serpents to her will. Her track record has given me every reason not to trust her" Max explained. "Toni, Sweet Pea, Fangs, FP, they have my trust. I'm not blind. I know about everything everyone does, especially Snake Charmer..."

"So, you know what she's up to?"

"I'm not an idiot. There's a reason I don't go to Penny, even when I'm desperate. I'd rather give up a limb than owe her any favors. With her, nothing's off limits. She doesn't care who she throws in the line of fire, as long as she gets what she wants..." Max was aware of Snake Charmer's track record. Her father had owed Penny plenty of favors back in the day. "... even if it means sacrificing one of our own."

"We can't let her get away with this! My dad doesn't deserve this. He can be so much more than just Penny's drug mule" Jughead hit the seat of his motorcycle. Jughead didn't want to see his father go down the wrong path again. FP was stuck between a rock and hard place, all because of him.

"So, what do you have in mind?" Max smirked.

 **...**

At the quarry, Max and Jughead got a bunch of the younger Serpents together which included Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Toni. At this point, Jughead was willing to do anything to get Penny out of the picture so that his dad would have a chance and he needed all the help he could get.

"Penny Peabody has got my dad dealing drugs" Jughead announced. "I know this, cause she had me doing it before him. Now she's roped in Tall Boy and Max..."

"Man, if you're pissed because your old man tagged Max along instead of you-" Sweet Pea interrupted him but Jughead cut him off.

"No, Sweet Pea. I'm pissed because I don't want the Serpents to end up like the Ghoulies. And I doubt that any of you became Serpents just to be at the beck and call of a drug queen pin. I know where this ends. Death. Jail. Which is why in the interest of self-preservation, we have to take out Penny..."

"Snake Charmer helped some of us..." Sweet Pea sighed, snaking an arm around Max's waist, who sat on the sofa arm next to him. None of the Serpents weren't exactly going to jump on board with taking out one of their own. Loyalty is a strong pillar for the Serpents, and they weren't quick to turn on their own.

Jughead crossed his arm, facing Sweet Pea. "Oh yeah? And what did she ask for in return, Sweet Pea? Huh? How many favors?" Sweet Pea stayed silent. It was clear that many Serpents did Penny their fair amount of favors. "If we don't stop Penny tonight, she's going to get every single one of us in on this. I promise you, I promise you, Sweet Pea. What I'm asking is, are you willing to risk your necks to save my dad's life?"

It was silent for a moment. Taking out one of their own was a breaking Serpent law. There was no turning back after crossing that line. Max thought long and hard. Max lived and breathed Serpent law and breaking one was essentially a sin. But there was way more at stake. FP not only did a lot for Max, but for her father. Whenever her father needed someone, FP was there. Whether it was bailing him out of jail or helping him create a stable life for his family, FP was there for Jake up until his death. Despite everything he's done, FP was a good man and Max wasn't going to let Penny ruin that. Max was willing to cross that line for a man that had become a father to her.

"What's the first law?" Max stood up.

"No Serpent stands alone..." Sweet Pea answered, standing alongside Max. "I'm in."

"Me too..." Toni added.

"Let's do this" Fangs stood with them as the rest of the younger Serpents stood with them.

"We're behind you..." Max looked to Jughead. Surrounding the lit can fire in front of them, Max and Jughead were ready to lead the charge against the Snake Charmer.

 **...**

Later that night, Max and Jughead arrived at the warehouse that Penny was hiding her stash. "FP? Well you're early, you old hoss" Penny smiled as she opened the door, revealing Max and Jughead.

"Penny, ho-merry-ho" Jughead greeted the Snake Charmer with a sly smirk.

"Jughead Jones and Max Logan" Penny plastered a fake smile on her face as she looked at the two young Serpents, confused. "Nice crowbar, Max..." Penny pointed to the crowbar in Max's hand.

"This?' Max threw the crowbar in the air and caught it. "This is just a little insurance policy, just in case things get ugly..."

"Well, are you two gonna give me a hand with this stuff? FP will be here in like what, 15, 20 minutes" Penny asked as Max and Jughead followed her into the warehouse. "He probably won't be too happy to see you two, huh?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. The three of us aren't gonna be here" Max smirked, as all the younger Serpents joined them, wearing their snake masks.

Penny turned around and scoffed, "Is this supposed to scare me?" But the younger Serpents weren't fazed. Going after her, Sweet Pea put a bag over her head as she cried out, "I wouldn't do this if I were you. You're making a big mistake!"

Once she was subdued, Sweet Pea carried her to the truck as Max and Jughead drove her out of Riverdale.

When they got just out of town, the Serpents carried Penny to the edge of the forest. Throwing her down, Toni pulled the sack off of Penny's head as she gasped for air. Penny looked around and saw that she was surrounded, locking her eyes with Jughead and Max.

"Where am I?" Penny questioned, noticing she wasn't in Riverdale.

"You're in Greendale, your new home..." Jughead walked over to her, kneeling in front of her with Max standing behind him. "But frankly, Penny I don't care where you set up shop. But it's not gonna be in Riverdale and it's not gonna be with the Serpents. You wanna deal drugs? You wanna extort people? That's your business, but not on the Southside, that belongs to us..."

Penny glanced at both Max and Jughead, "You two remind me of your old men. No one ever thought to mess with the great FP Jones and Jake Logan. Serpents of legend..."

"Shut up, Penny" Max glared at him. "You heard him, you're done. The Serpents are done owing you anything..."

"You two are stupid cocky kids. Serpent law says you can't hurt one of your own" Penny laughed, rolling up her sleeve, showing her Serpent tattoo. "Thought Max of all people would have told you when you when created this little partnership. She knows the laws like the back of her hand."

Max couldn't help but chuckle at her, taking the crowbar in her hand and whacking Penny across the face. Max hit her hard enough to do some damage, but not enough to knock her out. "You bitch..." Penny sneered as her lip started bleeding.

"Penny, you of all people should know by now. Being a Serpent, being a part of this, it's a _privilege_ not a right. A privilege you don't deserve..."

"I couldn't agree more. Penny, it's time that you learn" Jughead stood up, taking off his Serpent jacket. "Grab her..."

"What are you doing? No! Get off of me! Get off of me!" Penny yelled, while Sweet Pea and Toni held Penny's arms back.

Reaching into her boot, Max flicked open her father's old switchblade and handed to Jughead. "That tattoo doesn't make you a Serpent..." Jughead sneered as he carved out Penny's tattoo out of her forearm as Max got behind her and covered her mouth, so no one could hear her. Penny's muffled screams sounded through out the forest. Max and Jughead weren't fooling around when it came to FP. When it comes to the person they care about, both of them were willing to cross that line.

 **...**

Later that night, Max and Rafe were at their trailer enjoying the last few moments of Christmas together. With everything Max had been through the last few hours, she needed to spend some time with her little brother. While Rafe was unwrapping some presents, Max was munching at the gingerbread house they had made, smiling at her little brother. Max has seen some pretty gorey things as a part of the Serpents, but coming home to Rafe made all of it easier to deal with.

As they spent time together, Max heard knocks at their door. "I got it..." Max answered the door to see Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs on the other side.

"Merry Christmas" Toni smiled.

"What are you guys doing here?" Max chuckled.

"Did you honestly think we'd let you guys spend Christmas alone?" Fangs teased her as they brought some gifts into the trailer. "Hey, buddy!"

"Are these all for me?" Rafe smiled from ear to ear.

"All for you" Sweet Pea smiled, wrapping an arm around Max. "This was out front too..." Sweet Pea handed a box to Max. The box was wrapped perfectly and adorned with a big red bow.

"Who is it from?" Max looked at the box confused.

"There was no name, but it says it's for Rafe..." Shrugging her shoulders, Max put the gift under the tree for her little brother to open later. "I got you a little something too..." Sweet Pea took a box out of his Serpent Jacket.

"Sweet Pea..."

"I know you said no gifts, but I wanted to get something. So just shut up and accept the gift" Rolling her eyes, Max undid the ribbon and opened the box, revealing a silver double headed Serpent pendant on a thin chain. The Serpent eyes were adorned with rubies.

Her breath caught in her throat, Max smiled up at Sweet Pea. "I love it, this may just be the best thing I have ever got."

"You deserve it."

"Have I ever told you, you're amazing?"

"Wouldn't hurt to hear it" Sweet Pea teased her. Max gently shoved him, only for Sweet Pea to wrap his arms around her and bringing her into his chest. Kissing the tip of her nose, Max smiled as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss the guy that she was pretty crazy about.

As they kissed, Fangs yelled. "Yo lovebirds! You joining us or what?"

Slowly pulling away, Max took Sweet Pea's hand as they joined everyone else in the living area.

"Max, look I got that model airplane I've been wanting!" Rafe held up a box, smiling from ear to ear.

"We can put it together" Sweet Pea offered.

"Well, we're gonna be here all night" Toni joked, munching on some gingerbread.

Throwing a cushion at her, Toni laughed as she swatted it away as the boys got to work on helping Rafe build his model airplane. Sitting next to her best friend, Toni wrapped an arm around Max as they enjoyed this evening together.

Max always went out of her way to make holidays special for Rafe because it was just the two of them. Max wanted Rafe to not feel alone because it was them. But this Christmas was special. Having Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs with them, Max felt complete. Max didn't have the conventional family because the family she had by her side was way better.

* * *

 **Author's Note** **: Well all's well that ends well. I personally love the ending. Even though Max and Rafe don't have their parents, they have a family in the Southside Serpents. What do you guys think of Toni/Fangs/Sweet Pea spending their holiday with Max and Rafe?**  
 **This chapter was also pretty intense. Do you guys think Max and Jughead violating Serpent Law was the only way to get rid of Snake Charmer? Could there been a different way? Even though Penny Peadbody is the scum of the Earth, she was still a Serpent.  
Also, what do you guys think of Max and Jughead as a team? They are pretty badass if you ask me lol  
Overall, what do you guys think of the chapter? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	14. Crossing Enemy Lines

**Author's Note: I hope everyone is having a great day! I apologize for not updating yesterday! I don't know why but I was just exhausted and I was studying for an exam, which I have today! ****We're so close to the weekend, I can feel it!** **Thank you for the favs/follows. Please review and lemme know what you guys think of the story so far!  
** **In this chapter, Southside High is officially closed down and our Fab Five (Jughead, Max, Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs) is heading to Riverdale High.  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _You have Bulldogs and Serpents under one roof, that's a powder keg waiting to explode..._ "

 **...**

Chapter XIII. Crossing Enemy Lines...

It was another enduring day at Southside High. Jughead, Toni, and Max were chilling on the steps of the courtyard, while everyone else was in class. Since their Greendale escapade a few days ago with Penny Peabody, Max and Jughead had gotten considerably closer. While they were already cordial with each other, Max and Jughead had developed a genuine friendship. Even though they have different ways at approaching situations, at the end of the day they both wanted the same thing: to make the Southside matter. With that, came a new-found respect for one another.

"Wow, Jones. Props to you, it's very... lovecraftian" Toni joked as she read over Jughead's article.

"Is that your safe word with your girl?" Max raised an eyebrow, earning a shove from Jughead.

"I was just starting to think you were cultured" Toni rolled her eyes.

"Whatever that means, I'm pretty sure that's the intention, Toni" Max chuckled, looking over her shoulder. "Did you write that on a typewriter?" Max squinted her eyes.

"Uh, yeah..." Jughead meekly admitted. "I wanted to get into Lovecraft's headspace."

"Oh? So it wasn't like Betty bought you a manual typewriter for Christmas? Or anything weird like that?" Toni teased Jughead.

"No comment" Jughead took back his article as Maya playfully rolled her eyes. As the three of them hung out, Sweet Pea and Fangs came bursting through the doors, cheering.

"Whoo!" they both cheered as they playfully hit each other in the chest.

"You seem happy" Max stated the obvious as Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around her shoulder, kissing her cheek.

"What's going on?" Jughead questioned, standing up from the concrete steps.

"This hell hole is officially closed. We're done, no more Southside High" Sweet Pea smiled from ear to ear, as the Serpents exited the school.

"What? How?" Toni asked, shocked. While Southside High was crappy, it wasn't crappy enough to be closed down.

"They say it's dangerous and gonna get quarantined. Who cares?" Sweet Pea shrugged his shoulders. "We're all going to different schools."

"Wait, this doesn't make sense. Where are you going?" Jughead asked.

"Same as you and you..." Sweet Pea pointed to Jughead and Toni. "... and you..." Sweet Pea wrapped an arm across Max's chest, bringing her body into his. "... and Fangs. We're going to Riverdale High." Sweet Pea revealed. "Think of all those Northside heads to knock," Sweet Pea and Fangs threw playful punches. Giving Max one more kiss on the top of her head, Sweet Pea and Fangs raced over to their bikes to celebrate.

"I think that's the most excited I've ever seen him about school, like ever" Max looked on confused.

"How does that even happen? Everything was okay yesterday" Toni questioned.

"I have no idea..." Jughead looked at Max with suspicion on his face. Something just didn't add up.

 **...**

Later that day, Jughead and Max met up with FP to discuss Southside High closing. Like Jughead, Max was suspicious. Mayor McCoy could've closed down Southside High whenever she wanted, so why now? With the Northside and the Southside on the brink of war, throwing the Bulldogs and Serpents together was a recipe for disaster.

" _Mayor McCoy has deemed Southside High a public health hazard. Due to toxic fumes from the methamphetamine lab in the basement_..." Jughead read the public statement.

"Yeah, I've been at Southside High long enough to know we don't have a methamphetamine lab" Max pointed out. Max knew the inner workings of Southside High and other than Jingle Jangle, no other drugs were dealing dealt.

"Yeah, just Jingle Jangle" Jughead agreed with her.

"Oh the worm turns and it's back to Riverdale High, huh?" FP looked at his son.

"The way that all this went down, something smells fishy" Jughead pointed out.

"I'm with Jug. McCoy could've shut down Southside High whenever she wanted, why now? We're trying to avoid war with the Northside. Putting a bunch of Southside Serpents in Riverdale High, craps gonna hit the fan quick" Max sighed.

"How are you doing?" FP knew how much Southside High meant to Max.

"I mean, Southside High was crappy but it was _our_ place. _We_ ran the halls, now we're walking into hostile territory with every Northsider wanting our heads on a plate" Max breathed out. "So, not that good..."

"This could be a good thing... for both of you" FP looked at Max and Jughead. He knew that they were bright kids, all they needed was the opportunity to prove it.

"I gotta go pick up Rafe from school" Max checked her phone. "I'll see you guys later..."

 **...**

Waiting outside, Southside Elementary, Max was just picturing how tomorrow was gonna go. Max and the other Serpents has made a lot of enemies on the Northside and now, they were walking on to their turf. This was a whole new playing field.

As Max waiting, she saw Rafe running up to her. "Max, you're early" Rafe smiled at her.

"Yeah" Max wrapped an arm around Rafe's shoulder. "So, I wanted to talk to you about something..."

"What?" Rafe looked up at her.

"So, something went down, but long story short Southside High is closed down" Max revealed.

"What happened?"

"Who knows? I've stopped trying to figure out what Mayor McCoy is up to. The point is, starting tomorrow I'm going to Riverdale High..."

"Really?"

"Yup, me, Jughead, Toni, Sweet Pea and Fangs..." Max rolled her eyes in disdain.

"Why there? Why Riverdale High?" Rafe was very aware of his big sister's disdain for the Northside.

"God knows what Mayor McCoy was thinking. But with me being on the Northside, it might take me awhile to pick you up from school."

"You know, I could walk home from school on my own" Rafe droned at her. "You don't have to keep picking me up."

"I do it because I love you" Max kissed the top of his head.

"I'm serious Max, can I please walk home from school on my own? All my friends are doing it, I'm ready" Rafe pleaded to his big sister. Rafe was ready to prove to Max he was a grown up.

"I don't know..." Max wasn't ready to let Rafe go, yet.

"Please..." Rafe used the puppy dog eyes that Max could never say no to.

"Okay, we'll do a trial run tomorrow" Max rolled her eyes as Rafe jumped up and down happily. Walking home from school was a milestone for every young child, so Max understood. As Rafe danced happily, Max chuckled as they walked back to their trailer. While they walked home together, Max and Rafe didn't realize that they were being followed. It was Nathaniel Hart.

"Is that them?" the man with him asked.

"Yeah..." Nathaniel breathed out as their car was parked just out of sight. "They look just like her..."

Once they got back to their trailer, Nathaniel pulled up in front of them. "Stay here..." Nathaniel told his company has he got out of the car, approaching Max and Rafe. "Mackenzie, Rafael..."

"Who are you?" Rafe asked him.

"I-" Nathaniel tried to speak but Max wasn't going to let him, "What are you doing here?! How do you know where we live?"

"I wanted to talk to you, to both of you..."

"Rafe, go inside" Max whispered to her little brother.

"But, Max-"

"Go" Max said firmly, as Rafe scurried into their trailer.

Turning her attention back to Nathaniel, Max glared a hole through him. "Why are you here? I don't want your money, I don't want your charity. I don't want anything from you! Is this payback for me burning your money?"

"This is where you live..." Nathaniel pointed to the small trailer.

"What do you want?" Max crossed her arms. "I doubt you're here just to chat..."

"Look, I just wanted to apologize. I wanted to help you guys, I didn't want you to feel bad. I thought I was doing the right thing..."

"I don't need your pity and I sure as hell don't want your charity" Max sneered. "If you're looking for some kind of _special project_ to bolster your public image, me and my brother want nothing to do with it and you..." Max knew full well how the Northside operated. None of them would go out of their way to do something nice for the Southside, without there being something it in for them. It was all about themselves and Max wanted nothing to do with it.

"Mackenzie, I-"

"It's Max! My name is Max! How do you even know my name?" Max shouted. "Just leave! Or I'll call the police and they'll haul your ass in for trespassing" Max threatened.

"Okay" Nathaniel put his hands up in defense, as he left.

"I better not see your face here again! Cause if I do, it won't be pretty for you" Max growled before walking back in to her trailer.

Watching her slam the door, Nathaniel jumped a bit before walking back to his car. "Well, that went well" Nathaniel's company smirked at him.

"Just go..." Nathaniel breathed out as he drove back to the Northside.

Inside the trailer, Max was still a bit shaken up. "Max, who was that?" Rafe walked up to her. Not saying a word, Max brought Rafe into her arms. "What was that for?" Rafe asked her, curiously.

"Just cause... I love you" Max smiled.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, that just happened...  
** **There are two big things to unpack in this chapter.  
** **First thing, Southside High is officially shut down! While Sweet Pea, Toni, and Fangs are excited, Jughead and Max are suspicious. Do you think Max has a point about Southside High and Mayor McCoy? Southside High was pretty bad, but is it bad enough to close down? Also, with the timing or everything and the Northside/Southside on the brink of war, is it really smart to throw them together?  
** **Also, Nathaniel makes another appearance, this time on the Southside. What do you think his game is? Does he genuinely wanna help Max or there something larger at play?  
What do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay or nay? Any/All feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	15. Enemy Territory

**Author's Note: I hope everyone is having a great day and a great weekend! Because of Midterms this week, my writing schedule has been out of wack. Also, I'm gonna be out of town for a few days with some friends so I won't be able to update on my scheduled days next week. So, I'm going to update today and one more day before my trip on Tuesday.  
** **Also, this week's Riverdale episode was pretty intense! I don't want to spoil too much, but I will say that everything that's happened really sets things up for what I have planned later on. Also, Toni/Cheryl are great together.  
This chapter, The Serpents start their first day of school at Riverdale High and tensions are rising. When a crime occurs, causing the Serpents to lose their jackets, Max and Jughead find themselves at odds.  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _If we're gonna beat them at their own game, we need to play by their rules..._ "

 **...**

Chapter XIV. Enemy Territory

Today was the Serpents' first day at Riverdale High, and Max was both irritated and anxious. Max knew that the Serpents didn't belong there and every Bulldog would go out of their way to make them feel that way. The Serpents walking into hostile territory and no one knew what to expect.

Max stood in front of her full length mirror, adjusting her buttoned down crop top, her Serpent tattoo was on full display. The Serpent tattoo was just above her right breast, where her heart is. After Max was initiated into the Serpents, she had to get a tattoo of a double headed Serpent: the gang's emblem. Max wore that tattoo as a badge of honor. To her, that tattoo represents who she is, where she belonged.

As Max applied her deep plum lipstick, she heard knocks at her door. "Come in..." It was Sweet Pea.

"You ready?" Sweet Pea sat on her bed. Unlike Max, Sweet Pea was actually excited to start school at Riverdale High. But Max had a feeling that Sweet Pea wasn't focused on the academic aspect, rather than looking for which Bulldog would become his punching bag, which she didn't mind.

"As ready as I'll ever be" Max turned around to face her boyfriend.

"Dressed like that, we may not even make it school" Sweet Pea smirked as he kissed Max's tattoo. Max felt a chill go up her spine as she tried to calm down her racing heart.

"Stop..." Max bit her lip to fight back a moan, as she pushed Sweet Pea back.

"Can you blame me?" Sweet Pea chuckled. "Like a need another reason to punch a Northsider that looks our way." Laughing, Max gently socked Sweet Pea in the chest as she grabbed her Serpent Jacket.

"I talked to FP the other day, he says that this would be good for me, good for all of us..." Max breathed out.

"You don't believe him?" Sweet Pea raised an eyebrow at her.

"Southside High might have been a rundown piece of crap, but that was _our_ place. Now, they're throwing us in the doghouse and expecting us to just get along with a bunch of annoying Northsiders" Max ranted. "What's their endgame?"

Sighing, Sweet Pea walked up to his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her. "Look, whatever they're up to, we'll handle it... together" Sweet Pea tried to put Max's mind at rest. "What's the sixth law?"

"In unity, there's strength..."

"We're stronger together. And together, those damn Bulldogs don't stand a chance..."

Smiling, Max stood up on her tiptoes and placed her lips on Sweet Pea's. Max didn't know if she could handle this integration if it wasn't for Sweet Pea and the other Serpents. They made everything easier to deal with. Pulling away, Max chuckled when she saw some of her lipstick on Sweet Pea's mouth.

"What?" Sweet Pea asked.

"My lipstick's on you" Max gently wiped away her lipstick. "Alright, let's go before I change my mind..."

Smirking, Max got on Sweet Pea's bike as they headed to Riverdale High.

Arriving at school, Max and Sweet Pea saw Jughead, Toni, and Fangs waiting for them. "Took you two long enough" Toni smirked.

"I don't even want to know what you guys were up to" Fangs smirked, earning a playful shove from Sweet Pea.

"Let's just get this over with before I punch someone in the face" Max rolled her eyes as the headed inside Riverdale High.

The Serpents entered Riverdale High with Jughead, Max, Toni, Sweet Pea and Fangs leading them. Many of the current Riverdale students glanced at them in passing, many with looks of fear, disgust, and anger. No one could actually believe that this integration was actually happening. The Northside and Southside were like oil and water, they don't mix.

Walking up to the desk set up the front entrance, the Serpents were welcomed by Veronica and Archie. "Friends, on behalf of the students and faculty, welcome to your new school" Veronica smiled. "To ease this transition, I've set up a registration desk where you can get your locker assignments, class schedules, and a list of sports and extracurriculars. We encourage each and everyone of you to drink deeply from the cup that is fair Riverdale." Max had a hard time figuring out if Veronica was being sincere or secretly plotting the Serpents' downfall.

"Stand down, Eva Peron!" the Serpents looked up to see Cheryl Blossom and Reggie Mantle walking down the staircase, leading a group of River Vixens and Bulldogs.

"There's the school spirit I so fondly remember" Jughead commented to Max, who couldn't help but scowl at the army of Northsiders that was coming the Serpents' way.

"Well, she better keep that school spirit to herself" Max rolled her eyes. If the Bulldogs were trying to intimidate the Serpents, it wasn't working. The Serpents were more annoyed than anything.

"Cheryl..." Veronica glared at her. "No one invited fascist Barbie to the party."

"Wrong Veronica, no one invited Southside scum to our school" Cheryl sneered at her. "Listen up, ragamuffins. I will not allow Riverdale High's above average GPA to suffer because of classrooms that are overcrowded with underachievers. So please, do us all a favor and find some other school to debase with your hardscrabble ways..."

"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face?" Toni growled, making her way to Cheryl. The Serpents weren't looking for trouble, but if a fight was what the Bulldogs wanted, a fight was what they were going to get.

"Happily, Queen of the Buskers" Cheryl retorted.

"Say that again, I dare you..." Max backed up Toni, as Cheryl shrunk back a bit.

"Okay, guys. Everyone..." Archie got in between everyone. "Can we just put our Northside/Southside differences apart and start over? A new slate?"

"I'd rather swallow broken glass" Max muttered, rolling her eyes.

"You don't speak for the Bulldogs, Andrews. And need I remind you, these greaser-snakes showed up at your place trying to kick your ass" Reggie declined Archie's invitation for everyone to play nice.

"Happy to finish what you started" Sweet Pea tried to rush Reggie, only to be held back by Fangs and Max.

"I'm so over the toxic masculinity in this hallway right now" Veronica exclaimed, frustrated.

"Alright, that's enough pomp and circumstance!" Principal Weatherbee announced, trying to ease the rising tension. "Everyone let's get to class, now!"

Walking away, the Serpents glared holes at the Northsiders in front of them. As Max walked by Cheryl, she got in her face, making the red haired beauty to flinch back before purposely bumping through Reggie. If this was any indication of how the day was gonna go, it was only going to get harder.

 **...**

After their first class, a bunch of the Serpents were in the Student Lounge getting acquainted with their new school. After their little encounter with Reggie and Cheryl this morning, the Serpents were hoping their day won't end with them having to knock their teeth in.

"I don't think we've formally met" Veronica smiled at Toni. "Veronica Lodge..."

"... of the Park Avenue Lodges" Jughead put up his pinky.

"Toni... Topaz" Toni reluctantly shook Veronica's hand.

"Like the purple colored gemstone, love it" Veronica smiled as Max eyed her suspiciously. Max had a hard time believing that Veronica was going out of her way to help the Serpents get settled out of the goodness of her heart. After getting acquainted with Toni, Veronica turned to see Max smirking at her. The last time Veronica met Max, she was chewing her out and punching Archie. "Max..." Veronica took a sharp breath, as the tension spiked up

"Nice to see you again..." Max smirked, crossing her legs on the arm of the sofa she was sitting on, next to Sweet Pea.

"Yeah, last time I saw you, you assaulted my boyfriend" Veronica chuckled, trying to joke.

"He deserved it" Max rolled her eyes as she leaned forward, getting in Veronica's face. "Do you really want to get into it with me now, princess?"

"I wouldn't if I were you" Jughead commented as he absentmindedly ate his chips.

"Right..." Veronica plastered a smile on her face. All she wanted was this integration to go smoothly.

"I'm Josie McCoy, formerly of _The Pussy Cats_. Now, I'm just _Josie_ " She smiled. "And this is Kevin..." Josie introduced Kevin.

Kevin immediately locked eyes with Fangs. "What's your name?"

"Fogerty, but you can call me Fangs" Fangs introduced himself. "Your last name's Kellar, right?"

"How did you-?"

"Joaquin and I used to hang out, talked about you all the time" Fangs revealed he gave Kevin a small smile. Max couldn't help but smirk and what was brewing between her friend and the Sheriff's son. Max knew who Kevin Kellar was and his very _interesting_ relationship with former Serpent: Joaquin DeSantos, who was currently in the wind.

But the quiet moment was interrupted by Principal Weatherbee. "You guys!" Weatherbee called out as the Serpents present turned their heads. "Yes, you guys. Come with me!" Weatherbee told them. "Now!"

The Serpents, along with Veronica, Josie and Kevin followed Weatherbee into the hall to see the Riverdale High Seal tagged with a Serpent. Standing over it was none other than Reggie and a few Bulldogs.

"Which of you defaced our school seal with this... graffiti?" Weatherbee asked them. The Serpents looked on angry, while Veronica's mouth gaped open.

"This is what they do, Principal Weatherbee" Reggie smirked. "They tag their turf."

"It wasn't us! Our tag is way better than that!" Max argued.

"Max!" Veronica shushed her before turning her attention to Reggie. "But seriously, Reggie. Could you be anymore transparent?" Veronica knew what Reggie was trying to do and she was not amused by it.

"Effective immediately, no gang behavior of and kind will be tolerated in my school" Weatherbee glared at them. "As of this moment, no more Serpent Jackets..."

"What?" Sweet Pea glared.

"Are you kidding me?" Jughead exclaimed.

"You can't do that!" Max pointed her finger at the Principal.

"No more Serpents jackets" Weather emphasized. "All tattoos need to be covered. Possession of any gang paraphernalia whatsoever will result in immediate suspension. Are we clear?"

The Serpents reluctantly nodded their heads. This was Reggie's ultimate revenge. The Serpents' jackets weren't just jackets, they were a part of who they are and what they stand for. Their jackets were like a second skin to them. It was what connected the Serpents together. Outsiders wouldn't understand that.

"That's all..." Weatherbee dismissed the Serpents as Reggie stood with a victorious smirk.

As the Serpents walked away, the bell rang, signalling the students to go to class. "What class do you guys have?" Jughead asked them.

"English" Fangs responded.

"History" Sweet Pea added.

"We have math" Toni pointed to her and Max.

"Okay, I'll see you guys after school" Jughead said as the Serpents went in different directions.

As they entered their math class, Toni and Max saw that Cheryl was in their class. "Oh god, the wicked witch of Riverdale High is in our class" Max rolled her eyes.

"Just ignore her. She's not worth it" Toni tried to cool Max's is temper as they took their seats.

Once the last bell ring, the teacher started class instruction.

"Okay, before we start the next chapter, I feel like we need a recap. Can someone come to the board and solve the equation?" the teacher asked the class. "This was one of the more tougher questions in the chapter."

Smirking, Cheryl raised her hand. "Yes, Cheryl?"

"Actually, in an effort to make them feel welcome, I volunteer one our newest students to solve the equation" Cheryl smirked at Max, making the latter scowl at her. Cheryl made it her mission to make the Serpents look like fools she thinks they are.

"Excellent idea... Ms. Logan" the teacher looked at her roster sheet.

"Max, you don't have to do this..." Toni whispered to her.

Standing up, Max walked up to the board and got the chalk. As Max worked through the equation, Cheryl looked on with content. She couldn't wait for Max to be embarrassed in front of everyone. Once Max finished, she stepped aside. The teacher looked at her work and her eyes widened.

"Is there something wrong, Ms. Parsons?" Cheryl asked the teacher.

"No..." she gulped. "In fact, it's right. All of it..."

The class's eyes widened in disbelief while Toni looked on with pride. Toni knew her best friend was smart, she just went through a lot of trouble to hide it.

"That's impossible!" Cheryl frowned.

"No, she's right. She got the answer down to hundredth decimal point and converted it" the teacher looked on in disbelief. "Good job, Ms. Logan..."

Nodding her head, Max went back to her seat as the class was stunned into silence. The class couldn't believe that a Southside Serpent could solve a complex math equation with little to no effort. As she went to her seat, Max stopped in front of Cheryl's desk. Max knew what Cheryl was up to, and she wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of embarrassing her in front of everyone.

"So much for us being, what was the exact word? _Underachievers_?" Max quoted Cheryl as the latter just scowled at her. "I'm not just a pretty face" Max winked as she went back to her seat. Contrary to popular belief, not all Serpents were stupid. There was a reason why the Serpents got away with half the things they did, they were very sharp and very calculated.

Once Max sat down, Toni gave her a high five as the teacher went on with the lesson.

 **...**

After an eventful first day, Jughead, Max, Toni, and Sweet Pea were hanging out at the Whyte Wyrm. While Sweet Pea and Toni could live without having to wear their jackets during school, Jughead wasn't pleased that Riverdale High was profiling the Serpents as criminals. Meanwhile, Max was deciding how she felt.

"Weatherbee is profiling us!" Jughead ranted, making Toni and Max look at him confused. "Telling us what to wear? What's next? Brain implants telling us what to think?"

"Jughead, you sound like a conspiracy nut" Toni chuckled. "A school closed down..."

"A crappy school..." Sweet Pea commented as he kept his focus on Mortal Combat.

"Yeah, and now we're at a better one" Toni smiled. "The computer lab, the textbooks..."

"No annoying security guards everywhere you look" Max breathed out, as she sat on the stool next to Sweet Pea, facing them.

"And toilets that flush" Sweet Pea added, making Max chuckle.

"Getting transferred to Riverdale High was the best thing that could've happened" Toni reasoned.

"Maybe ever..." Sweet Pea agreed.

"So if I have to take off my jacket 8:30-3, Monday to Friday, hey I'm down with that'" Toni sipped on her drink. Max sat there, taking in everything her best friends were saying. She never knew they felt that way about Riverdale High.

"Max, you on board with this?" Jughead pointed to her, hoping Max would have his back.

"Does it piss me that they just _decided_ we were guilty? Yes" Max reasoned out, placing her elbow on Sweet Pea's shoulder. "But is it the end of the world? No..." Max played devil's advocate. "With or without the jackets, we're _still_ Serpents."

Annoyed, Jughead left the Wyrm to gather his thoughts. Now that Jughead was in the Serpents' world, he understood everything they stood for. The Serpents weren't just a gang, they were family. He wasn't going to give up his jacket without a fight. "Please make sure he doesn't do anything stupid" Toni pleaded to Max.

Breathing out, Max followed Jughead. "Jughead, please don't do anything dumb" Max pleaded to Jughead.

"How does this not piss you off? Weatherbee punishes us for something we didn't do, and now he's telling us who to be? How are _you_ of all people okay with this?" Jughead growled. "These jackets are who we are..."

"Believe me when I say, I _know_ that. You've been a part of this world for ten minutes..." Max faced off against Jughead. "We've been wearing our jackets for years, we know what they mean. But, is this a battle really worth fighting? We do one stupid thing, it could affect all of them and you know what this means to them..." Max tried to get Jughead understand that their actions affect the majority. Max and Jughead were coming up as leaders to the Southside Serpents, it wasn't about just them. "You have to understand, you've been to Riverdale High. You got chances and opportunities we may never get. We could be so much more than what they think we'll be. Who are we to take those shots away from them?" Max wasn't going to pick a fight that could cost her best friends' their opportunity to be something. That was what a leader would do.

"Regardless Max, we have to fight for who we are. You taught me that..." Jughead told her before walking off. Max just stood there, hoping that Jughead didn't do anything stupid...

 **...**

Later that night, Max was sitting in her room. For the past hour, Max was just staring at her Serpent Jacket, trying to figure out the right thing to do.

Max understood where Jughead was coming from. When her parents passed away, Max had nothing for many years. It was the Southside Serpents gave Max a home and a family she never thought she would find. Max knows what it means to be a Southside Serpent. That jacket has become a part who Max is. When people look at the Southside Serpents, they see criminals and troublemakers. But who the Serpents really were are people who had lost themselves that eventually found somewhere they actually belonged. That's who the Serpents were, and people from the outside looking in wouldn't see that.

But after listening to Toni and Sweet Pea, Max started thinking. Max was considered a leader to the Serpents and she understood that her actions could affect everyone. The last thing she wants is to make Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs's life at Riverdale High harder because of stupid choices she made. Whether she wants to admit or not, Riverdale High was an opportunity for Max to make something out of herself. Max can be more than just the criminal that the Northsiders paint her out to be. If Max wanted to succeed, she had to play by Northside rules if she wants a chance. Maybe she could be so much more that what people assume she can do...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, it seems the Serpents are shaking up Riverdale High and the Bulldogs are not having it...**  
 **First of all, do you guys think it was right for Weatherbee to assume that the Serpents were guilty of the tag? Honestly, I think it was the Serpents' reputation got them in trouble. Also, Max is a lowkey genius haha. I didn't want Max to be the stereoptypical gangster with no brain. I wanted her to be strong and smart.**  
 **Also, it seems Max and Jughead have switched haha. You guys were probably expecting Max to side with Jughead in wanting to get Weatherbee back for profiling the Serpents, but I wanted to take a bit of a different approach. Hearing her friends out, it appears Max doesn't want to do something that would cost Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs their opportunity. But I obviously get where Jughead is coming from. Who do you guys agree with? Max or Jughead? At the end of the day, Max and Jughead are coming up as leaders for the Serpents and their actions do have consequences for all of them.  
I think Max is starting realize that she is capable of being so much more than the criminal every Northsider expects her to be.  
Overall what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/All feedback is welcome  
Please Read&Review**


	16. So Much More

**Author's** Note: **I hope you guys are having a great day! Like I told you guys, I'm going on a trip with some friends tomorrow morning so I won't be able to update for a few days so I'm updating for you guys today! Also, I gotta shoutout a Guest Review that I got! You are right in that there are so many facets to Max that you guys have all yet to see. She is rough around the edges and she's that girl you don't want to mess with. But she's also fiercely loyal to the people she feels deserves it. There are still more to Max that you guys will see later on.**  
 **In this chapter, FP tries to get Max to understand that she is way more than her circumstances on the Southside, if she takes advantage of the opportunities in front of her. Also, Jughead decides to take on the system at his old stomping ground.  
Enjoy!  
DISCLAIMER! I DON'T OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX, MY CHARACTERS, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _I don't need a Northsider telling me who I'm gonna be..._  
 _I'm in charge of my own destiny..._ "

 **...**

Chapter XV. So Much More...

The next morning, Max was in her trailer getting ready for her second day of school. If today was gonna go as well as it did yesterday, Max was preparing for another battle. As she was fixing her hair, Max's eyes fell on her Serpent jacket that was hanging off her bedpost. Max was still deciding what she wanted to do. Max hated it when people told her what to do or who she should be. But at the same time, she wanted to prove to them she could be so much more than what they perceived her to be. This was one of the rare times that she was actually using her brain instead of her fists.

As Max was getting ready, she heard knocks at her door. It was FP.

"What are you doing here?" Max chuckled, crossing her arms.

"Figured I would come check up on you before my shift" FP walked into her trailer. "Jughead told me what happened yesterday..."

"Oh..." was all Max could say.

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't gonna do anything stupid. The Northside plays by different rules..."

"Am I doing the right thing?" Max asked him. "Our jackets are like second skin, we should fight for who we are. I just don't know if that fight is worth taking their chances of being something..." FP smiled, seeing Max thinking through her actions. Max was becoming more and more of leader everyday.

"You always told me you wanted to open a garage or tattoo parlor, but do you remember what you used to tell me when you were a kid?" FP asked her, making Max shake her head in response. "A doctor, you told me that you wanted to be a doctor."

"I don't remember that. How do I not remember that?"

"I can't count all the times you patched us up after some bad fights" FP chuckled. Max probably patched up FP better than any doctor could. "You can be so much more, if you give yourself the chance to. Riverdale High could be really good for you..."

"You think so?"

"I know it. You're a smart kid, it's about time everyone else sees it. You don't need a jacket to let people know your a Serpent" FP shook her shoulder. "Why don't you head on out and I'll take Rafe to school."

"Are you sure?"

"Just go, I don't want you being late" FP smiled as Max took her backpack and jacket.

After getting to school, Max opened her locker and got her books for her first class. As she got her things together, Max just stared at her Serpent jacket, debating if she should wear it or not. Stuffing her jacket in her backpack, Max headed to the student lounge. FP was right. Max will always be a Serpent, with or without her jacket.

As she walked into the lounge, she saw Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs without their jackets. Smiling, Max walked up to them. "Hey, deadbeats."

"Hey, no jacket?" Toni raised her eyebrow. Toni knew that Max didn't take kindly to people telling her what to do.

"Wasn't feeling it today..." Max joked.

"We'll pretend like we believe you" Fangs chuckled as Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around Max's waist.

"Maybe this place won't be that bad" Max smiled as they noticed Jughead walking into the lounge with his Serpent Jacket on. All eyes landed on him. Max couldn't help but roll his eyes at what Jughead was trying to do.

"Oh, hey guys" Jughead greeted them, as they exchanged worried looks.

"I thought you talked to him" Toni whispered to him, earning a shrug from Max.

"Take it off..." Reggie glared at Jughead. "Take off that jacket, rat boy" Reggie made his way to Jughead, making Max, Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs stand up.

Turning around, Jughead smirked at Reggie, "Oh Reggie. I don't think you know what this jacket means. Because you have no sense of honor or history or loyalty..."

"That's it!" Reggie tried to take Jughead's jacket off himself, making Sweet Pea and Fangs rush over to them.

"Oh god..." Max rolled her eyes, as she grabbed Reggie by the shoulder and punched him right in the eye.

As the fight escalated, Veronica walked by the student lounge to see the Bulldogs and Serpents going at it. "Oh my god, Mr. Weatherbee!"

Weatherbee came in and managed to separate all parties, before pushing them all towards his office. "You all have a week's detention for fighting..."

Reggie smirked victoriously, making Max glare at him. Not appreciating it, Max hit him in his crotch. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction in thinking he won.

"You all saw that" Reggie let out a labored breath.

"Make that two weeks for you Ms. Logan" Weatherbee glared Max, making her lean back before turning his attention to Jughead. "I made myself clear to you Mr. Jones, take off that jacket right now or your suspended..."

"Please, Jughead just take it-" Veronica pleaded only for Jughead to cut her off, "Then I'm suspended."

As Jughead left, Max let out an annoyed sigh. Max opened her backpack and took out her Serpent jacket, before wrapping around her shoulders. Max wasn't about to let Jughead be the only one to take the fall for this. Despite his questionable methods, Jughead was fighting for the Serpents... he was fighting for _them_.

"Ms. Logan take off that jacket" Weatherbee walked over to her.

Standing up, Max got up in her Principal's face. "Make me..." Weatherbee glared at her before leaving the office. It was clear that she was suspended so there was no point in staying in the office.

Once she left, Max noticed Jughead down the hall. Jogging up to him, Max shouted, "Wait up!"

"Max, what happened?" Jughead asked her.

"You're not the only one suspended..."

"Max, how did-" Jughead breathed out only for Max to put her hand up, "First law, no Serpent stands alone..."

Nodding his head, Max and Jughead left school and headed to the Whyte Wyrm.

Arriving at the Wyrm, Max exclaimed, "Hogeye! Double Malt Whiskey!"

"You have a very sophisticated palette" Jughead joked as he went over to the Mortal Combat machine and started playing. As Max sat down and drank her drink, she noticed Jughead getting more and more frustrated. It seems like Jughead is more upset about something else other than trying to beat her high score.

Losing, Jughead hit the side of the machine.

"You break that, you buy it" a voice spoke out. Max and Jughead turned around to see FP.

"How'd you know we were here?" Jughead asked.

"Hogeye called me" FP thanked his fellow Serpent. "Well explain to me why the hell you two aren't in school?"

"Yes..." Jughead breathed out. "Weatherbee has been disrespecting the Serpents, he's been targeting us. He told us to take off our skin!" Jughead pointed to his jacket.

"You mean your jackets?" FP chuckled. "Wear 'em after school."

"A Serpent never sheds it's skin."

"I know the laws boy" FP looked on at his son, before turning to Max. "I know what he's trying to do, but we talked Max..."

"No one gets left behind right?" Max took another swing of her whiskey. "We didn't do anything wrong..."

"What's goin' on? Really?" FP pleaded to them. FP hated seeing Max and Jughead hurting like this.

Sitting down, Jughead breathed out, "Southside High we had a place. Yeah, it was crappy but it was _ours_. We were a family, we had a home. _I_ had a home..." For the first time since joining the Serpents, Jughead felt like he belonged. With Archie, Betty, and Veronica, Jughead always felt like the odd out out, the one that didn't fit. But with the Serpents, they accepted him just how he was.

"Yeah, I hear ya..." FP breathed out. "But getting arrested for truancy ain't gonna help. You gotta be smart. Serpents hibernate during the Winter" FP heeded to them. "Look at me. You think I like cleaning toilets and shoveling slop? No, but it's what I gotta do. Going to Riverdale High, it's what you guys gotta do. Lay low for awhile, never stop being Serpents..."

 **...**

The next morning, Max and Jughead were cleared to go back to school. After hours of pleading by FP, Max and Jughead's suspensions were lifted but they still needed to serve detention for violating the rules.

"This feels weird" Max pointed to her destroyed denim jacket she had on, as opposed to her Serpent Jacket. Max had that jacket since she was 12 years old, not wearing it now felt foreign to her.

"Tell me about it..." Jughead breathed out as they headed to the Student Lounge. Jughead's Serpent jacket was starting to grow on him. As they entered, they noticed Toni and Sweet Pea, dressed in polos and khakis.

"What the hell" Jughead breathed out.

"What are you guys wearing? You guys look ridiculous" Max pointed to their uniforms.

"Weatherbee gave them to us. He said he understood that not every Southside student had the means to purchase Riverdale High acceptable clothes" Toni explained. "He thinks this will help us fit in."

"More like make us stick out like sore thumbs" Max grimaced, as she noticed not every Riverdale student had a uniform.

"Where's Fogerty?" Jughead asked.

"He wouldn't wear the uniform, so they got rid of him. Suspended him..." Sweet Pea told them.

"So, our choices are to conform or be cast out..." Jughead breathed out. It was clear what Weatherbee was trying to do. If he couldn't scare the Serpents into submission, he was going to mold them into how he pleased in a different way.

"So, now what do we do?" Max turned to Jughead.

Jughead thought for a moment, thinking back to what his father told him. The Serpents didn't need conform, they needed to adapt. This was a whole other world now and the Serpents had to play by Northside rules if they wanted to survive.

"Max, you doin' anything after school?" Jughead asked her.

"Why?" Max smirked.

"Figured we would pay our dear friend Fangs a visit" Jughead smirked.

 **...**

The next morning, Max, Jughead and their fellow Serpents congregated in an empty classroom. Per Weatherbee's instructions, Max and Jughead were required to wear the school uniform. FP was right, all the Serpents needed was a space for themselves, a place they can call their own before they attack.

"Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the Swords and Serpents club" Jughead smirked as Max sat on top of the desk next to him.

"Which is what exactly?" Toni raised her eyebrow.

"Well, like we told our dear Fangs to bring him back to Riverdale, we are a gaming group sanctioned by Weatherbee himself" Max explained.

"Where like minded students can meet and concoct world building, role-playing scenarios, inhabiting fantastical heroes, and dispatching mythological creatures" Jughead added.

"No but really..." Toni leaned forward, not buying what Jughead and Max were selling.

"It's a club... for us" Jughead stood up. "A safe haven where we can be Serpents during school hours and under everyone's noses..."

"We won't conform, we we're not shedding our skins" Max stood up next to Jughead. "We're lying low, in the tall Riverdale grass. And no one is going to see us coming..."

While the Serpents could raise hell with a bang, but they were also quiet and calculated. Cunning and manipulative, they knew how to play their cards and attack when the time was right. Right now, that's what the Serpents need to do. The Serpents needed to bide their time...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **It seems like lying low might be the Serpents' best option right now. The Serpents are out numbered and treading hostile territory, they needed to think with their heads not their fists.  
** **Also, this time you see Jughead and Max team up to take down Weatherbee. It seems like Jughead and Max definitely switched it up. Usually it's Max raising hell and Jughead being self-aware of their actions, but this time it's the other way around. Regardless, they both have the Serpents' best interests at heart. Their "club" is honestly perfect! It's a way for the Serpents to have a safe space to be themselves.  
** **Also, I'm living for FP and Max's conversation. It's very clear that FP loves Max like she's his own kid and simply wants the best for her. He believes in her, even though she doesn't believe in herself. Do you think FP's right, that Max is in control of her own destiny? Or are her influences on the Southside too strong?  
And what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/All feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review! **


	17. History Retold

**Author's Note: I hope everyone is having a great day! I have seriously missed you guys but I am back. I was at Big Sur with a few friends for a couple of days and now I'm getting back into that work grind. It was my first time getting out of the city and out in nature and it was absolutely beautiful. Thank you for all the favs/follows I really appreciate it. Don't be afraid to review, cause I love hearing your guys ideas and opinions.  
** **For this chapter, Riverdale is celebrating Pickens Day which leaves the town divided.**  
 **Enjoy!**  
 **DISCLAIMER! I DON'T OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX, MY CHARACTERS, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _The crazy thing about history is that it always finds a way to repeat itself, no matter how hard you fight it_..."

 **...**

Chapter XVI. History Retold...

It was Pickens Day and everyone in Riverdale was teeming with spirit and pride, as today was a celebration for Riverdale's founder: General Agustus Pickens. While a lot of people were in high spirits, not everyone was.

Max along with Jughead were hanging out with Veronica, Betty, Kevin and Jughead in the Student lounge to talk about the upcoming Pickens Day Festival. The Pickens Day Festival came about as a means to bring together the Northside and the Southside.

As Veronica, Kevin, and Jughead were discussing Betty's newfound brother, Max simply tuned them out and was doing some sketching in her notebook. Max was practicing her tolerance for her Northside classmates. Max didn't really care too much about their issues and didn't care to involve herself in them.

"Chic is still acclimating, and I'm trying to get him to trust me. But my mom is treating him like a 10 year old and my dad is acting like he's the devil's spawn" Betty explained.

"All, I know is that you can't trust a pretty face..." Max absentmindedly commented as they just looked at her, surprised. Max looked up to see she caught their attention. "What?"

"Well, I have an amazing idea. Bring the omen to Picken's Day and we'll all meet him..." Veronica suggested. "Everyone's coming, right?"

"No, because the Serpents weren't invited" Jughead spoked out.

"The Serpents were _specifically_ asked to come."

"Yeah to be security" Max looked at her incredulously. The Serpents have been well-integrated into Riverdale high for weeks now, and still didn't feel like equals to everyone else. "If your asking the Serpents to be your bouncers, I don't want to be any part of it."

"Yeah, it's like we're all on a snowpiercer train but the Serpents happen to be the ones eating cockroaches" Jughead rolled his eyes.

"You guys don't have to work if you don't want to" Veronica rationalized.

"Yeah pass" Max closed her notebook noticing Toni and Sweet Pea coming into the lounge.

"I agree, the damage they say has already been done" Jughead grabbed his things. "Talk to you guys later."

"Plans with Toni?" Betty shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Uh yeah, I'm interviewing her father for my oral history report. The oldest living Serpent" with that said, Jughead and Max left with Toni and Sweet Pea. Even though Jughead had close relationships with his friends on the Northside, his loyalty to the Southside was growing.

While Jughead and Toni were talking to her grandfather, Sweet Pea and Max were sitting on the steps of Riverdale High.

"What are you working on?" Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around Max's shoulder, looking into her notebook.

"It's for my art class. Cause I didn't turn in my last two projects, she's making me create a mural for Pickens Day for extra credit" Max doodled in her notebook.

"How do you fail art?" Sweet Pea chuckled.

"You fail when your teacher has the creativity of a wet box" Max chuckled. "Besides, I promised FP I'd try harder. And failing isn't exactly trying..."

"Figured you'd be hanging out with Jones" Sweet Pea snarled. Sweet Pea wasn't blind. He wasn't thrilled with the abundant amount of time Max was spending with Jughead. "You guys having been hanging out a lot lately."

"Does it bug you?"

"No, it doesn't bug me that another guy is spending a lot of time with my girlfriend" Sweet Pea said with sarcasm dripping off his tongue.

"Well, he is a Serpent now, he's one of us and he's proven that he's in it for the long haul" Max got up and sat on his lap. "You're not jealous are you?" Sweet Pea stayed silent. That was all she needed to hear. "Look, Jughead is my sidekick, the Robin to my Batman. There's nothing going on."

"It's just... in the beginning you couldn't trust him and now he's the first one you call when you need something. That used to be me..." Sweet Pea looked down.

"You still are..." Max reassured him. "When bush comes to shove I will _always_ pick you. Look, FP wants me and Jughead to step up and we are. At the end of the day, we have our differences but he and I want the same thing: to protect our own. We gotta respect that."

"I get it..."

"Plus, I'm more into tall, dark, and handsome" Max smiled down at him, making Sweet Pea smirk as he went in for a kiss. Pulling away, Sweet Pea gently nuzzled his nose to Max's as his eyes wandered down to her notebook. Picking it up, Sweet Pea flipped through the pages before stopping at a picture of General Pickens. His army jacket was one half of the Northside and the other side was of the Southside.

"I like this one the best."

Taking her notebook, Max looked at the picture and smiled. "I think we have a winner."

"You got the invite for Pickens Day?" Sweet Pea asked.

"Yeah, they want some muscle" Max rolled her eyes. "I don't know, I've just never been excited about Pickens Day. I've never liked it."

"Yeah I get you. I just remember walking through Pickens Park, just feeling like I don't belong" Sweet Pea breathed out.

"Yeah..." Max leaned her head against Sweet Pea's. "I want to believe that Northsiders want us there out of the goodness of their hearts, but with this town's track record, who knows what's up their sleeves."

 **...**

Later that afternoon, Max was at her trailer doing work on her motorcycle while Rafe was sitting on her workbench doing homework. "What are you working on?" Max worked on her bike's engine.

"It's my book report for class, it's on Pickens Day" Rafe rolled his eyes in disdain.

"Take it your not excited?" Max joked.

"We're not even allowed to go. Why do we have to celebrate a holiday we're not even welcomed to?" Rafe slammed his book shut.

"It's complicated" Maya ruffled his hair as Jughead pulled up to her trailer. "Go inside..." Grabbing his backpack, Rafe headed inside.

"Catch you at a bad time?" Jughead asked.

"Nah, what's up? I thought you were with Toni?" Max put her tools away.

"What do you know about the Uktena?" Jughead asked, curiously.

"I'm part Uktena, on my dad's side actually. He didn't talk much about it, but when he did, oh the stories he would tell" Max chuckled. "Why?"

"Well, when I interviewed Toni's grandfather for history class he had some pretty intense things to say about General Pickens..." Jughead handed a folder to Max. "But then I did some follow up research. General Pickens was hired by Barnabas B. Blossom to remove the Uktena tribe by force. Max, he killed 400 innocent men, women, and children..."

"Like I needed another reason to hate the Northside..." Max sneered as she read through Jughead's research.

"And adding salt to the wound. The last remnants of the tribe, the Serpents are being squeezed out of existence. Toni's grandfather lives in a trailer the size of a broom closet and Hiram Lodge is honoring this murderer instead of trying to make amends. I think this is story that needs to be told..."

"Don't get me wrong Jones, this is some messed up stuff. I wanna say I'm surprised, but I'm not" Max breathed out. "But shouldn't you run it by Toni and her grandfather first? Just so they're not blindsided by any of this? In your eternal quest to damn the Northside, just make sure you don't railroad your allies in the process."

"I'm sure Toni will be on board" Jughead got his research back.

"I'm just saying, Toni's really protective of her grandfather. He's all she's got left. If you're gonna do this, if you're gonna pick this fight, you better be ready" Max heeded Jughead before heading inside.

 **...**

The next morning, Max was walking into school about to brave another day at Riverdale High, the hallways were buzzing a lot more than usual. Max just assumed it was because the Pickens Day Festival was today.

"Hey..." Sweet Pea met Max by her locker.

"What's going on? People are buzzing more than usual" Max took in her surroundings.

"Read for yourself..." Sweet Pea handed Max a copy of the _Blue & Gold_. "Jones had some pretty interesting things to say about General Pickens."

Intrigued, Max took the paper, "General Pickens was a murderer. And ripples from his gruesome acts continue to be felt today. Descendants of the victims are still being displaced. So I challenge the Northside, instead of honoring men like General Pickens and Hiram Lodge, hold them accountable. Reparations must be paid to men like Thomas Topaz who are too old and beaten down to fight back for themselves..." Max couldn't read anymore. "Wow..."

"Yeah, piss you off too?" Sweet Pea asked.

"If he wasn't FP's kid, I'd beat the crap out of him for railroading Toni and her grandfather..." Max gritted her teeth before tossing the paper in the trash.

"Imagine how they feel" Sweet Pea leaned against the lockers. "What was he trying to do?"

"I don't know..." Max breathed out. "If there is one thing I know about the Southside Serpents, is that we're not victims. I thought Jug would know what by now. I don't need their pity, I want them to fear us..."

"That's my girl" Sweet Pea smiled, wrapped an arm around her waist. But their little moment was cut short when Max's art teacher approached them.

"Max, I wanted to check in and see how your art piece was going?"

"Yeah about that" Max took out a folded piece of paper from her jacket pocket along with her father's lighter. "I don't think I'm gonna do the mural anymore..." Max lit her art piece on fire before placing it in the trash.

"Max..."

"Pickens Day is a crock. Why should we celebrate a holiday that wanted all of us gone?" Max referred to the Southside Serpents.

"Max, you do this, you won't get anymore opportunities..."

"Fine by me..." Max smirked as her art teacher stomped away. "So, I might end up failing art."

"Who needs art anyways?" Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around her. "Look..." Sweet Pea and Max saw Jughead walking out of a classroom with his head down.

"Why so glum chum?" Max smirked.

"Nice article you wrote. You proud of yourself for kicking an old man when he's down?" Sweet Pea gritted his teeth.

"Not you guys too. I thought I was doing the right thing" Jughead tried to justify his actions.

"Yeah at the expense of Toni and her family. I told you to run the story by her and now you railroaded her in front of the entire student body" Max sneered at him. "Hope this battle with the Northside was worth it."

"You hate the Northside more than anyone, are you seriously judging me?" Jughead pointed to Max.

"You better what it, Jones" Sweet Pea stepped to Jughead. He didn't care if he was FP's son, Sweet Pea wasn't going to let Jughead disrespect his girlfriend.

"It's okay..." Max calmed Sweet Pea's temper. "You're right, I do hate the Northside more than anyone would ever know. But you know difference between you and me? I wouldn't throw the Serpents under the bus for a cheap victory. No battle is worth losing my family. So congratulations, you outed Pickens and Lodge, you just had to hurt one of our own to do it. Hope it was worth it..."

With that said, Max and Sweet Pea left. It was clear that Jughead was piled on enough, now it was on him to reflect on his actions.

 **...**

Max and Sweet Pea were at the Whyte Wyrm playing a round of pool with a bunch of the other Serpents. Opting against going to Pickens Day, the a bunch of Serpents decided to spend some time together. While the Northside used Pickens Day as a day to celebrate a murderer, the Serpents used today as a day to celebrate each other. The Serpents were stronger together and not even General Pickens and years of riots from the Northside weren't enough to bring them down. That was worth celebrating.

"To the Serpents, may the Northside be damned!" Max raised her glass. "They think they can get rid of us, it's been decades and they haven't done crap! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" the rest of the Serpents exclaimed.

As they all relaxed, Jughead, Toni, and her grandfather came in with signs.

"I thought you wanted to dismember Jug?" Max joked with her best friend.

"We got bigger fish to fry. You guys wanna stick it to the Northside?" Toni asked the Serpents. "It's time we show them that we're not broken down, that we're not weak!"

The Serpents exchanged looks...

 **...**

Pickens Day was well under way and everyone was having a good time. "Hello, Riverdale. Happy Pickens Day" Fred Andrews greeted everyone. "On behalf of Lodge Industries and Andrews Construction, we are thrilled to kick things off with a new twist on an old favorite. So, welcome Veronica and the Pussycats!"

Veronica got on the stage and started singing, and people were enjoying it. But as she got into the song, the Southside Serpents marched into Pickens Day, with their mouths taped and signs held high. The Serpents were the last remnants of the Uktena and they weren't going to lie down, especially to Hiram Lodge.

Confused, Veronica stopped singing as Toni stood in front of the crowd with her grandfather and the Serpents backing her up.

"Toni? Jughead? Max? What the hell is going on?" Veronica asked.

"We're here representing the dead and the silenced. Pickens Day is a lie! General Pickens slaughtered the Uktena tribe, my grandfather's family. And this land, the land that we're standing on, the land that will soon give way to a new Southside, was stolen from them. And we can't bring them back, but we can and we must honor them!" Toni exclaimed into her megaphone.

"Hey folks!" Hiram ran onto the stage. "Hi! I think we can all be proud to live in a Riverdale where young people stand up for justice. Where a young woman can defend the honor and legacy of her grandfather and we can celebrate the living legacy of the Uketna who contribute to the rich tapestry that is Riverdale. That is the Southside..." the Serpents looked on disgusted as Hiram Lodge politicianed his way out of trouble and defended a murderer. And what was worse was people were buying it. "And that will be SoDale. So let's hear a round of applause for that..."

People clapped their hands, reluctantly. There was no rewriting history, but Hiram was determined to sweep it under the rug, especially at the expense of the Serpents.

Ripping off his tape, Jughead was going to give Hiram a piece of his mind until Thomas stopped him. "No..."

"He'll get his Jug, we'll make sure of it..." Max sneered as she glared down Hiram Lodge. The Serpents had an enemy that was bigger that the Northside now...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well it seems the Serpents have probably picked the toughest fight they have ever picked. Only time will tell if they can beat Hiram Lodge. Also, I know I omitted the key scenes between Toni, Jughead, and her grandfather but this story is really told from Max's eyes.  
** **There is a bit to unpack in this chapter.  
** **Firstly and most importantly, Jughead's article was pretty harsh in my opinion. Do you think he did the right think publishing that article? Or do you agree with Max in that this victory was cheap because Jughead had to hurt Toni and her grandfather to do it?  
** **I also want to give Max and Sweet Pea a little moment in this story. Their relationship is pretty solid, but do you think Sweet Pea has a right to be worried that Max is spending so much time with Jughead?  
Overall, what do you guys think of the story as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review!**


	18. Lose Your Head?

**Author's Note:** **I hope everyone is having a beautiful Easter Sunday (for those who celebrate)! I hope today is filled with happiness and love. In celebration of the coming of April, I bring you guys another update. I'm still adjusting to the work grind and my updating schedule has been a bit off. But I'm working on it.  
** **Also, about the last chapter what Jughead did was a bit of a double edged sword. While what he said in his newspaper was true, painting Toni's grandfather as weak and beaten down was still pretty messed up. But at the end of the day, this is the first battle in a war.  
** **In this chapter, when Picken's head disappears, Jughead and Max are under fire when a familiar face comes back to Riverdale.  
Enjoy!  
DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX, MY CHARACTERS, MY STORYLINES AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _It's through your actions that people will see who you really are..._ "

 **...**

Chapter XVII. Lose Your Head?

News of Picken's head missing spread like wildfire throughout Riverdale. The head had yet to be retrieved and it was a man hunt to return it. While there was no evidence of who stole the head, all the fingers were pointed at the Southside Serpents. After their protest at Pickens Day, the Serpents had motive and means to steal the head. Taking the head would make a major statement against the General for his actions against he Uktena.

But right now, that's all that was, _speculation_.

With the police hassling her, Max opted to spend the night with FP and Jughead until the heat dies down. "Thanks for letting me spend the night, things have been getting crazy" Max walked into the kitchen.

"Don't mention it, kid" FP smiled. This wasn't the first night Max and Rafe spent at the Jones' trailer and probably won't be the last. "Rafe's still sleeping?"

"Like a baby" Max chuckled before stealing Jughead's coffee out of his hands.

"Yeah, you can have my coffee" Jughead rolled his eyes before hearing knocking at the door. It was Sheriff Kellar. "Sheriff Kellar, what a surprise..."

"Jughead, FP, Max..." Kellar looked at them. "Sorry to bother you, it's uh..."

"We do _not_ have General Picken's head and we do _not_ know who stole it" Jughead finished the Sheriff's thought.

"Same as the last four times you came by to ask us and our neighbors" FP breathed out.

"Make it six times, he came by my trailer twice" Max rolled her eyes. "If you have something to say, then say it..."

"I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this" Sheriff Kellar rationalized.

"You're wasting your time here" Max rolled her eyes.

"You know Sheriff, these visits are starting to feel like harassment. There's absolutely no evidence. Zero proof whatsoever pointing to any particular group of suspects" Jughead stood firm.

"You did write a rather scathing article about the General's legacy, which prompted the Southside Serpents to stop by Pickens Day with an axe to grind" Sheriff Kellar pointed out motive.

"I'm actually writing a new article about how you seem to care more about catching a vandal than the Black Hood. Can I get a quote?" Jughead smirked, making FP chuckle.

"I'd read that" Max chuckled before sipping at her coffee. With that said, Sheriff Kellar to go question more suspects.

 **...**

Deciding not to go to school, Max and Sweet Pea were at the quarry. After Pickens Day, the Serpents were on high alert. They were suspects in the decapitating of General Pickens and were already guilty in the court of public opinion.

"They came by this morning, questioning me about that stupid head" Sweet Pea took a hit off his joint before passing it to Max.

"I know, they came by FP's trailer too. They already decided that we're guilty, it's just looking for proof to hang us with" Max breathed out. "We did the right thing at Picken's Day right?"

"Yeah" Sweet Pea answered without a second thought. "The Serpents are a part of history that everyone wants to gloss over. It's time we show that we're not going anywhere."

"I love when you get heated" Max smiled as she snaked her hand around the back of his neck, bringing their lips together as her hand got tangled in his hair. Pulling away painfully slow, Max leaned her forehead on his. "Why don't we go back to your trailer and have some _quality_ time, just the two of us..."

Without thinking twice, Sweet Pea got on his bike with Max climbing on behind him as he sped back to Sunnyside. When they got to Sunnyside, they both noticed an eviction notice on the door.

"What the hell?" Sweet Pea muttered, snatching the paper off the front door. "It says I have fourteen days to vacate..."

"What?" Max's eyes widened when she saw numerous Serpent families outside their homes, all with notices too.

"Is this because of the stupid head?!" Max growled as her phone went off. It was Jughead.

"Who texted?"

"It's Jughead, he got a notice too. We're all meeting up at the Wyrm to figure out our next move..."

"What the hell is happening?" Sweet Pea muttered, kicking the side of his house.

"I wish I knew..." Max breathed out.

 **...**

Back at the Wyrm, all the Serpents were gathered to figure out where they go from here. At this point, the entire town had decided that they were guilty. But the Serpents weren't gonna go down without a fight.

"We all got the eviction notices but I swear to you. No one is going anywhere" FP stood on the main stage. "The heat has been on us since Pickens Day, and they are using that damn statue as an excuse to turn it up. But if we're gonna fix this, I gotta ask does anyone in this room responsible for cutting off Picken's head?"

"Why don't you ask your son what he has to say?" Tall Boy spoke out.

"What is your problem with me Tall Boy?" Jughead growled.

"You wrote the article that started that mess! You and your posse fired the opening shot at Pickens Day" Tall Boy pointed to Max, Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs.

"It was a peaceful protest you turncoat!" Toni bit back.

"That accomplished nothing!" Tall Boy cut her off. "So, what's to say Max and Jughead didn't go back that night with a ladder and a hacksaw?"

"Hey!" Jughead stormed over to Tall Boy, tired of his accusations. "We didn't do it! Hell, Tall Boy you're the tallest guy in this room. You wouldn't even need a ladder!" Accusing Tall Boy took major balls. Tall Boy made it very clear he wasn't happy with the direction the Serpents have gone since Jughead came into their world.

Max held Jughead back as FP got into the middle of them. "Jughead, Tall Boy. The last thing we need right now is to turn on each other. We'll find a way out of this..."

With the emotions running high, Jughead stormed out of the Wyrm with Max not too far behind him. "Hey Jones!" Max called out. "Thanks for having my back in there. It means a lot."

"It's nothing" Jughead smirked. "But we need to figure this out before things get worse."

"How? It's like the head disappeared out of thin air" Max ran her fingers through her head, annoyed. "Now, we're all gonna lose our homes..."

"You up for a field trip?"

"Where?"

"You'll see" Jughead smirked as he and Max got on their bikes and headed out. It was a short ride from the Southside to Mayor McCoy's office.

"Why are we here?" Max asked.

"To appeal to the Mayor's conscience. Maybe she can end all this" Jughead breathed out as they both walked inside.

"Jughead, Ms. Logan" Mayor McCoy smiled. "What can I do for you two?"

"This witch hunt has to end, Mayor McCoy. Serpents had nothing to do with that beheading and you know that" Jughead stepped to the Mayor of Riverdale. "And in the meantime, you're gonna tighten the screws. You'll send Sheriff Kellar to sow seeds of unrest, threaten to take our homes away. Since when do you care about a statue of a murderer?"

"Since Governor Dooley called and read me the Riot Act. That statue cost him a lot of money, he's furious!" Mayor McCoy bit back.

"And you're supposed to be an ally, Mayor McCoy!" Jughead exclaimed. "So why are you doing this unless-"

"Someone's pulling your strings" Max spoke out, approaching the mayor. Max had a talent for reading people like open books. "Who's the puppet-master? Is it Hiram Lodge?"

"You two are bright kids, so listen to what I telling you..." Mayor McCoy leaned forward. "Back down..."

Leaving the Mayor's office, Jughead and Max regrouped.

"Well that was an epic waste of time" Max breathed out. "What do we do now? McCoy's not gonna budge."

"Well onto Plan B" Jughead opened his knapsack and took out a bunch of fliers. "We find the head ourselves."

"Seriously, Jones? Fliers?" Max raised an eyebrow at the fliers Jughead had made.

"You have any better ideas?"

"At this point, I'm down for anything" Max took a handful of fliers to distribute throughout town.

"Both our phone numbers are on here, if someone finds the head we'll be the first ones to know" Jughead said as they both headed back to the Wyrm to catch the Serpents up on their plan.

"Alright order of the ophidians!" Jughead exclaimed as he and Max returned.

"What's going on?" Max asked, confused.

"Jughead Jones, Max Logan..." a familiar voice chimed. "Did you two really think you'd see the last of me?" Snake Charmer was back in the Wyrm.

"What is Snake Charmer doing here?" Jughead looked like he had seen a ghost. "Dad..." Jughead turned to FP.

"No I brought her in" Tall Boy spoke out. "To help us..."

"We don't need her damn help!" Max growled.

"You don't get a say anymore, either one of you. Not since you broke Serpent law and hurt one of our own kind. Penny was about to tell your dad" Tall Boy sneered. "Show 'em Penny, show 'em all..."

Pulling up her sleeve, Penny showed her arm with a large red bruise on it where her tattoo used to be. "That used to be my Serpent tattoo, until those two sliced a chunk out of my arm and left me bleeding in a ditch in Greendale." FP looked on in horror at what Jughead and Max had done.

"You weren't a Serpent before or after that tattoo and you know it!" Max growled.

"I expect this from Jones, but you Max? You live and breathe Serpent law" Tall Boy looked at Max, disappointed. "You're pops would be disappointed."

"You keep my dad's name out of your damn mouth!" Max pointed to Tall Boy as Jughead held her back.

"I'm still willing to help the Serpents. Tall Boy showed me those eviction notices, their legit. Luckily, I can think of about 41 ways to stall the process and I'm talking years."

"What's your price, Penny..." FP gritted his teeth. FP was dealing with the devil, and desperation was driving him there.

"Blood for blood. An eye for an eye. I want back in the Serpents, and I want those two kicked out." Penny stood up. "Oh yeah, one last thing. I want their tattoos carved off and I wanna do it myself, with a dirty knife..."

 **...**

After what happened at the Wyrm, Max was hiding out at Sweet Pea's trailer. At this point, it didn't matter that Max was Jake's child, nothing overrode Serpent law. Right now, every Serpent wanted Max and Jughead's head on a plate. Penny was gonna do everything in her power to make sure Max and Jughead were gone. Neither one of them were safe anywhere.

"I can't believe that this happening" Max paced back in forth.

"Hey..."' Sweet Pea stood up, holding her hands. "I'm not gonna let that happen, I won't. If they wanna get to you, they'll have to go through me."

"I wasn't expecting you to step to FP or Tall Boy" Max breathed out. "It's just...I can't lose you guys, I can't. You guys are all I have left..." When Max's parents died, the Serpents were her support system. If she didn't have them, there was no telling how lost she would be.

"You're not gonna lose us..."

"I might as well have. She might be the scum of the Earth, but she was still a Serpent. We violated Serpent law." Saying that made Max cringe. Max had never violated Serpent law in her entire time as Serpent, this was foreign to her.

"To protect one of our own" Sweet Pea put everything into context. "What other choice did you guys have?"

"Now we're screwed" Max gritted her teeth.

"Damn Snake Charmer" Sweet Pea gritted her teeth. "We should've beat her dead when we had the chance."

"She has to be working with Tall Boy, this has to be their end game" Max connected the dots. "With me and Jughead gone, they're the ones the calling the shots. What other explanation is there?"

"It's a power move" Sweet Pea questioned.

"It has to be. FP has given me and Jughead a lot more control. I bet you a million dollars that drives Tall Boy nuts."

"If only where we knew where that stupid head was" Sweet Pea punched the counter as Max's phone went off.

"Hello?" Max answered. "Yeah that's us... Okay we'll be over right now" Max hung up her head.

"Who was that?"

"The answer to all our problems. Stall the vote as long as you can!" Max grabbed her jacket and ran out the door. Shooting a quick text to Jughead, Max quickly rode her bike to a junkyard a few feet outside of the Riverdale.

Once she got to the junkyard, Max was surprised to see Betty with Jughead. "Why is she here?" Max pointed to Betty.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help" Betty reassured her as the three of them walked into the Junkyard.

"You the kids looking for a head?" the local worker asked.

"If only we lived in a town where the answer could be no" Jughead quipped.

"That's us" Max spoke out. "I got your call, you have it?"

"I got nearly ten acres of scrap out there and I come across weird stuff all the time. But this, the first time, I found a bronze head!" he exclaimed, placing a duffel bag on the table. "It was stashed under an old refrigerator."

Opening the duffel, Max, Jughead, and Betty saw General Picken's head. "General Pickens as I live and breath" Max quipped.

"You didn't happen to see who dumped this?" Jughead asked, curiously. "Has anyone suspicious been around?"

"Well I get scavengers, all the time. But, there was a guy that came in last week. I've never seen him before. Claimed he wanted to get some bike parts, but he didn't buy anything..."

"Well did you get his name? What did he look like?" Betty questioned.

"A low-life type, had on one of those jackets" the old man pointed to Jughead and Max's Serpent jackets.

"Was this guy tall?" Max asked.

"Sure was..." Jughead's suspicions were confirmed and he and Max were seeing red.

"That damn traitor" Max gritted her teeth. "Call FP, it's time we end all of this..."

 **...**

With the head in hand, Jughead, FP, Max, and Betty walked into the Whyte Wyrm.

"Stop the damn vote" FP instructed before sitting Tall Boy down to be questioned. "What the hell you were doing at the dump last week, Tall Boy?"

"I don't know what you're talking about..."

"I'm talking about you cutting the head off of the Pickens statue, stashing it at the dump where you were seen dumbass. So start spilling!"

"Why'd you do it!?" Jughead added. "Someone put you up to this?"

"What's the Northsider doing here? This is Serpent business, it's on Serpent land" Tall Boy sneered at Betty.

"Oh she has nothing to do this." Max got in Tall Boy's face. "Who's pulling your strings, huh?"

"Answer 'em Tall Boy. Why'd you do it?!" FP roared.

"Cause I'm tired of seeing the Serpents goin soft under your rule!" Tall Boy confessed. "When Hiram Lodge came by and wanted to stir up so trouble. He said if I took the hit, he'd get McCoy and the cops to swarm all over us, cause some chaos."

"So Hiram Lodge asked you to start a mutiny..." Jughead sneered. "And you helped him? Why?"

"Figured it would be my chance to get rid of _you_ , sunshine..." Tall Boy sneered at Jughead. "If I got rid him, getting rid of you two would be a cinch" Tall Boy turned to FP and Max.

"And then what?" FP stood up. "You'd become leader?"

"Him and his little partner-in-crime" Max referred to Penny. "Jokes on you, this little power move you had in play wasn't as good as you thought it was..."

"You're a real Judas, Tall Boy" Jughead pointed to him.

"And an idiot..." Max glared at the man, had lost all respect for. He was willing to throw his Serpents under the bus to keep them from moving forward.

"You betrayed your own kind, Tall Boy! You broke Serpent law! What should we do with this lowlife!" FP exclaimed.

"Strip him of his jacket, exile him" Jughead suggested.

"All those in favor?" Every Serpent in the Whyte Wyrm raised their hands including Betty. "Looks like this piece of trash and I got a long ride ahead of us."

"But first we need to pay a visit to his little partner in crime" Max smirked.

 **...**

After a bit of persuading, Max got the address to Penny's motel from Tall Boy. Knocking the door, Penny was met by smirking Max.

"Max? What can I do for you?" Penny smirked. She was unaware that Tall Boy had sold her down the river the second he had been found out.

"Are you dumb or just naturally blonde?" Max crossed her arms.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Penny sipped her beer.

Taking the beer out of Penny's hand, Max took one sip of it before throwing it against the wall, shattering it into a million pieces. "If you wanna take over the Serpents? Find yourself a smarter partner" Max approached Penny, making her back up. "One hit from my fist and he sang like a canary..."

"Max, Tall Boy h-h-he was lying!" Penny put her hands up defense. "I never helped him with the plan to take you, FP, and Jughead down, I swear it. It was all him! I had nothing to do with it" At this point, Penny was just trying to save her own hide.

"I never said anything about me, or Jughead or FP..." Max had a stone cold look on her face, as Penny's eyes widened. She had given herself away. Before Penny could even run, Max grabbed her by the shoulder turned her around and punched her straight in the jaw, knocking her down.

"No one messes with the King and the heirs to his throne" Max sneered in Penny's face, before punching her again. "You wanna carve out my tattoo with a dirty knife..." Max grabbed Penny by the neck, before hitting her with the back of her hand.

Grabbing Penny by the hair, Max dragged her out of the motel room and outside, where FP and Jughead were waiting for her along with the rest of the Serpents.

"You gotta pick your battles Penny" Max threw Snake Charmer down in front of FP. "You don't mess with me, and you sure hell don't mess with my family..." Grabbing Penny by the collar, Max delivered a punch to Penny's jaw. "That's for Jughead..." Max delivered another punch to Penny's eye, "That's for FP..." Taking out her pocket knife, Max jabbed her knife into the dirt before stabbing the knife in Penny's thigh, "And that's for me..."

"You good?" FP crossed his arms, with no remorse for Penny. She deserved everything she got from Max and more.

"Take this piece of trash upstate and out of my sight" Max sneered as FP grabbed Penny by the hair and dragged her to his truck. Tall Boy and Snake Charmer were going to have a pleasant ride with FP to Greendale.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well it seems Snake Charmer and Tall Boy are going to get everything that's going to them. There is a bit to unpack.  
** **There is no denying what Tall Boy and Snake Charmer did was messed up, does he have a point? Are the Serpents going in the right direction? Playing devils advocate, it seems like the Serpents haven't made much progress moving forward.  
** **Also, I wanted Penny to get her just desserts via Max's fist. In the episode, Penny just kind of escaped when Max and Jughead figured out Tall Boy's scheme. I wanted to give Penny an ending.  
** **This is the second time I believe that Max and Jughead took over. You really see Jughead go to bat for Max. Their friendship/partnership has really evolved since the first episode. I honestly think they are great team. Who do you guys think is better team? Jughead/Archie? Jughead/Max?  
** **What do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	19. A Declaration of War

**Author's Note:** **I hope you all are having a great day and looking forward to a great weekend. I am in the process of getting caught up with all my writing. Since there is a little gap between the newest Riverdale episode, it gives me times to get caught up with everything. In these next few updates, you'll see me incorporating an original idea that's integral to Max's storyline. But that'll be a little further down the road.** **  
** **In this chapter, Jughead begins to suspect that Hiram has bigger plans for the Southside and the Mayor might be in on it, while Max makes a surprising discovery about herself.  
Enjoy!  
DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX, MY CHARACTERS, MY STORYLINES AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

 _"You lit the first spark, but we're gonna burn you down..."_

 ** _..._**

Chapter XVIII. A Declaration of War

After an eventful night, Max was relieved that she and Jughead were still part of the Serpents. Max was simply disgusted with Tall Boy and Penny's actions against the Serpents. All though they were wrong about a lot, they were right about one thing. The Serpents were going in a new direction under FP, a better direction.

As Max approached her trailer, she noticed someone waiting in front of trailer. It was none other than Nathaniel Hart.

"Why are you here? I told what would happen if you come by here again" Max growled as she approached her trailer.

"I just want to talk to you" Nathaniel put his hands up in defense.

"What is there to talk about? Why should I care about anything you have to say? Why should care I care about what a damn Northsider thinks?"

"Because that's what family does..." Nathaniel breathed out. "Because _you're_ part Northside..."

"Family?" Max raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm your grandfather..." Nathaniel took out his wallet, pulling out a wallet size photo of Miranda: Max's late mother. "Miranda was my little girl..."

Max took the photo and for some reason her eyes started watering. When Max looked at that picture, she saw bits of herself and Rafe. Sniffling a bit, as quickly as the wall around Max's heart went down they went back up.

"Is that why you kept coming around? All the help? Why you won't just leave me alone?"

"I wanted to see you... I wanted to see Rafe" Nathaniel sniffled.

"Should I give you a hug? Should I welcome you into our lives with open arms?" Max gritted her teeth. "Did you think this was gonna be a cuddly, Hallmark moment?"

"Max, I'm your grandfather. W-w-w-we're family" Nathaniel walked closer to her, but Max backed up.

"You're not family. I didn't even know you existed. Mom told us you guys were dead" Max pointed to him. From what Max remembers, Miranda held this deep resentment for her parents. She didn't talk about them and when she did, it caused her a lot of stress. Max knew better than to go down that road with her mother. But for Miranda to say that her parents were dead, they must have done something terrible to cause their only daughter to push them away.

"To her, we might as well have..." Nathaniel still remembers the day that Miranda left for the Southside and never looked back. That was the day that completely broke his heart and until this day, he has never really recovered.

"Look, you weren't around when they died so why the hell should I care that your here now?" Max looked at him. "You weren't around when it counted. You we're around, when we needed you!"

"Max..."

"Just leave! I don't need you!" Max roared at him.

"I know you hate me for not being here, but I'm here now if that counts for anything" Nathaniel handed Max a folder. "Call me if you want to talk..."

Max reluctantly took the folder as Nathaniel left. Looking down at the folder in her hands, Max walked back into her trailer and threw the folder on the kitchen table. Max had too much on her mind to worry about Nathaniel right now. She didn't need this right now.

 **...**

The next morning, Max was walking out of her trailer to see Sweet Pea waiting for her. Max decided to keep her encounter with her supposed grandfather to herself. Max wanted to figure this out for herself before letting her fellow Serpents in on this.

"You didn't have to pick me up..." Max smirked.

"Figured you could use some company, after everything that happened" Sweet Pea handed her a helmet.

Taking the helmet, Max grabbed Sweet Pea by his jacket and brought their lips together. Smiling, Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around her waist as he savored this kiss.

"You are amazing..." Max smiled as she got on his bike.

"I try..." Sweet Pea put his hands up as he got on his bike, driving them to school.

Once they got to school, Max turned to Sweet Pea. "So, I'll see you at lunch?"

"Yeah, I gotta go do some things with Fangs before class" Sweet Pea kissed her again. "I'll see you later."

Nodding her head, Max walked into school and was met by Jughead. "Hey, Jones" Max smiled.

"Logan" Jughead smirked. "You hear anything new on the evictions?"

"No" Max breathed out. Even though Tall Boy and Snake Charmer were out of their lives for good, they were just one thing on the long list of problems the Serpents had to deal with. The Serpents were still being in the process of being evicted by the city. And if they didn't act quick, a lot of people were gonna lose their homes. "Has FP said you anything?"

"Nothing so far" Jughead and Max walked into the Student Lounge. "I feel so helpless..."

"You and me both" Max breathed out as Veronica approached them. "Can we talk?"

"What is there to talk about? You and your parents are kicking us out of our homes for something we didn't do" Max crossed her arms.

"This is just a big misunderstanding" Veronica rationalized. "And I promise you guys, that we're doing what's best for everyone."

"Best for you guys, not what's best for the Serpents" Max rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, are you seriously trying to manage us right now?" Jughead glared at her.

"Define _manage_..."

"People are going to lose their homes" Jughead rationalized.

"Look, why don't you guys come over with FP and sit down with my dad and hash this out like civilized humans, face to face?" Veronica suggested. Veronica knew how much influence Jughead, Max, and FP carried throughout the Southside. If they were on board with the us, the other Southsiders would follow suit.

"Okay, one condition..." Jughead glared at her. "Your dad comes to Sunnyside Trailer park, I want him to see the people he's going to be displacing..."

"That seems more than fair" Max crossed her arms.

"Fine" Veronica agreed. "And trust me, no one is going to be displaced..."

"That better be the case, cause if not there will be hell to pay" Max stood up.

"Is that a threat?" Veronica looked at her incredulously.

"No princess, that's a _promise_ " Max bit back as she and Jughead left. "Do you think she's gonna keep her word?"

"No idea, but in case we need some insurance" Jughead breathed out.

"What do you have in mind?"

"I feel like we need to pay the mayor one more visit" Jughead went to his locker.

"You know, she's not gonna talk especially after the last time" Max leaned against the lockers.

"I'm way ahead of you" Jughead grabbed a map out of his locker. "I was up all night and I think I've figured something out."

"What?"

"I'll explain on the way" Jughead closed his locker as he and Max left to go see Mayor McCoy.

It was short drive from Riverdale High to the Mayor's office. Jughead was starting to unfold Hiram's bigger scheme for the Southside and he was starting to deduce that Mayor McCoy was part of the conspiracy. Whether she was willing or not, that was for Jughead and Max to figure out.

"Jughead, Max what a pleasant surprise" Mayor McCoy smiled. "What can I do for you guys?"

Unfolding his map on her desk, Jughead started circling key areas on the Southside. "Riddle me this. What do Sunnyside Trailer Park, Twilight Drive-in, and Southside High all have in common?"

"I'm sure I don't know" Mayor McCoy pushed the map back to them.

"They were or are town land. _You_ control them" Jughead informed her. "The Drive-In was shut down as was Southside High. Now the Trailer Park is in jeopardy, can you just feel the invisible hand of Hiram Lodge all over this?"

"What exactly are you insinuating?" Mayor McCoy stood up, glaring Max and Jughead.

"We're insinuating that you're taking donations from the Lodges in exchange for favors" Max backed up Jughead. "Like land deals..." The Mayor's silence was all the answer that Jughead and Max needed.

"Now's your chance to come clean..." Jughead added.

"I think you two should go" Mayor McCoy gritted her teeth as the two young Serpent left.

"Why do I feel like something really bad is gonna happen?" Max breathed out as they walked out of the Mayor's office.

"Cause it's not just a feeling, something bad _is_ going to happen" Jughead breathed out. "This may be the beginning of armageddon..."

"To make matters worse, we have to meet with Hiram Lodge in a few hours" Max said annoyed. "Like things couldn't go from bad to worse..."

"Come on..." Jughead patted her shoulder as they headed back to Sunnyside Trailer Park.

 **...**

Once they arrived back at Sunnyside, Max and Jughead along with FP agreed to meet with Hiram and Veronica to hash all this out.

"Thank you for agreeing to discuss this misunderstanding" Hiram smiled.

"There's no mis-" Jughead started before Max cut him off. "There's no misunderstanding. Tall Boy said you paid him to decapitate the Pickens Statue."

"As an excuse to turn up the heat on the Serpents" Jughead glared at him.

"You got a lot of nervous people scared they're gonna lose their homes" FP pointed a finger at Hiram.

"I heard about that. And though it has nothing whatsoever to do with me, I've spoken to Mayor McCoy and as a gesture of goodwill to the Southside Community, I'd like to settle any backrent you or your neighbors owe the town" Hiram offered.

"How noble of you..." Max wasn't buying what Hiram was selling. He wouldn't do anything if there wasn't anything in it for him. She wouldn't be surprised if he did this as a way to bolster his public image.

"And what do you want in return?" Jughead asked.

"Peace in the land..." Hiram looked to the three of them with pleading eyes. Max looked at him with a look of disdain. Max didn't believe a word that came out of his mouth.

FP sighed as he stood up and shook Hiram's hand. As much as he loathed the businessman, FP didn't need a full blown war. "It's a deal..." Veronica and Hiram looked on pleased. This is exactly what they wanted.

"There is one thing..." Hiram spoke out. "Mayor McCoy tells me you have some kind of expose you're working on, Jughead. So in exchange for my generous offer, I'd appreciate it if you'd just keep my name out of it. Sound fair?"

Jughead couldn't help but scoff, before glancing at the Lodges that were on their turf. "That sounds a lot like a bride. What you think Max?"

"I would definitely think that" Max crossed her arms. "You're call Jug..."

"No deal" Jughead said firmly, making Max smile and FP chuckle.

"See you in the funny pages" FP chuckled as he wrapped both his arms around Max and Jughead. FP looked at Hiram with a sly smirk. Coming into this, Hiram thought he would be able to have the Southside Serpents wrapped around his finger, but that wasn't the case. And it was clear that after this, Hiram would have enemies with the Southside Serpents.

 **...**

Later that night, Max was sitting at home staring at the folder that Nathaniel gave her. Max couldn't shake her encounter with Nathaniel the other night. While Max couldn't just welcome her grandfather into her world with open arms, she was curious about her mother's life on the Northside before her father. Max had all these questions that maybe her grandfather could answer.

Curious, Max opened the folder to see pictures of her mother when she was her age. From the photos, it seemed that Miranda has many different interests. From her love to vintage cars, to ballet dancing, Miranda had this entire life before Jake.

Taking a deep breath, Max took out her phone...

Meanwhile on the Northside of Riverdale, Nathaniel was in his office doing some work.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's me..." Max breathed out.

"Max" Nathaniel smiled.

"Can we talk..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well there's a bit to unpack here...  
** **The big part is that Jughead is picking a fight that he may not necessarily win. It's one thing to fight against the scum of the Earth in Penny and Tall Boy, but it is another thing to pick a fight against Hiram Lodge and Mayor McCoy. But if this is a battle Jughead wants to fight, it helps he has good company by his side in FP and Max.  
** **Also, Max makes a startling discovery in that she's half Northsider. To despise a group of people for so long only to learn she's a part of them, it's a gonna be a tough pill for Max to swallow. You will see her deal with this discovery as we got through the rest of the second season. But what do you guys think of Max's interactions with her grandfather? Should she welcome him into her world? Or should she be suspicious? Also, do you think it's the right move for her to hide this from the rest of the Serpents?  
** **Overall what do you think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome.  
Please Read&Review!**


	20. The Invisible Hand

**Author's** **Note** : **I hope you guys are having a great day and a great weekend! I'm had a little free time on my hands and I'm going out of town for a few days for work, so I wanted to give you guys a new update! This update, things heat up and the plot will thicken ;)**  
 **In this chapter, in this chapter Max meets her estranged grandparents and learns the truth as to why her mother renounced her ties to the Northside. Meanwhile, Hiram's plot for the Southside is getting closer and closer to fruition and Max is starting to see that Jughead may be on to something...  
Enjoy!  
DISCLAIMER! I DON'T OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX, MY CHARACTERS, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _You don't have to see something to feel that it's there_  
 _Whatever control we had left was slowly being siphoned away and we all felt it_..."

 **...**

Chapter XIX. The Invisible Hand

Max was sitting at a cafe on the Northside, waiting for Nathaniel to show up. Whatever prejudices that she had about her grandparents and the Northside, Max needed to push them out of her mind. Max wanted answers and maybe her grandfather could give that to her.

As Max stood there with her Serpent jacket on her back, she looked up to see Nathaniel along with Olivia approaching her. "Max..." Nathaniel smiled at her. "This is Olivia, your grandmother."

"Nice to meet you" Olivia plastered the fakest smile on her face, and Max saw that. It was clear that Olivia didn't want to be here.

"I don't want to lie, so I'm just stay quiet" Max smirked as Nathaniel and Olivia sat down.

"Did Rafe not wanna come?" Nathaniel asked.

"He's at school right now" Max informed him. "And he doesn't know yet and when he decides to know is my call. Not your's."

"Well, I can see you have your father's tongue" Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Why is she here?" Max pointed to her grandmother. "I just wanted to talk to you..."

"What? I can't come see my long lost granddaughter?" Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"You gave up the right to call me that when you decided not to come to your only daughter's funeral" Max glared at her.

"Enough, both of you" Nathaniel got in between his wife and granddaughter. "I'm happy you called Max."

"I just want to know..." Max leaned back. "You're clearly not dead, so why did my mom say you were?"

"We had a bit of a falling out with your mother..." Nathaniel breathed out.

"Falling out?"

"It was when she chose to be with that piece of Southside trash" Olivia sipped her coffee. "We gave her a choice: end things or be cast out..."

"That piece of Southside trash was my _father_. The best father I could've ever had" Max pounded her fist on the table. Max did not appreciate her grandparents attack her father.

"He was never good enough for her! He was nothing but a criminal!" Olivia rolled her eyes and Max felt her blood boil.

"You don't even know him!" Max bit back.

"Max, we didn't mean to offend you" Nathaniel put his hands up.

"That ship has sailed" Max sneered. "You decided my mother was a terrible person because she decided to follow her heart instead of your bank account? I bet it drives you crazy that she fell in love with a Southside Serpent instead of a charming debonair from the Northside."

"You better watch yourself, young lady" Olivia pointed a finger at the young Serpent.

"What are you gonna do, huh?" Max challenged her grandmother. "You have no authority over me, neither one of you does."

"Max..."

"You know, I came here for answers and I got all I needed. I don't blame my mother for leaving the Northside, and I don't blame her for leaving you two and not looking back" Max took her phone and stood up. "Having crappy parents like you two made her the best mother ever. I don't care about the money, I don't care about the title, I might have Northside blood but I'll never be a Northsider. My heart has and will always be on the Southside..." Max sneered at them before leaving. Max can see why her mother renounced any ties she had to the Northside when she met her father. Having condescending parents like them would make anyone ashamed of where they came from.

"Well that was a waste of time" Olivia leaned back in her seat. "She's just like father..."

Nathaniel just sat there, leaning his head against his hand. All Nathaniel wants is to build a positive relationship with his grandchildren, but Olivia's prejudices were holding him back. It was clear that Olivia was going to hold Max and Rafe accountable for Miranda's choices.

As Nathaniel sat there, his phone went off.

"Is that him?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah, probably to finish finalizing the deal" Nathaniel breathed out as he went to take the call. "Hiram..."

It was a short drive to Sunnyside as Max pulled up to FP and Jughead's trailer. All the residents were sitting on pins and needles. Jughead had made a new enemy in Hiram Lodge and he was hell bent of booting the Serpents out.

Breathing out, Max knocked on the door as FP let her in. "Hey Max..."

"How you guys holding up?" Max walked into their trailer, noticing Jughead looking at housing ads.

"Not good" Jughead crossed off another housing ad.

"What are you doing?" Max asked.

"Just checking out a few places" FP poured himself a cup of coffee. "There's that one building on Franklin and Sycamore."

"Dad, there's living on the wrong side of the tracks and then there's living directly over the tracks..." Jughead breathed out.

"I'm a soda jerk at Pop's, Jughead. We're not gonna be moving into the Pennbrooke" FP argued.

"We shouldn't have to move at all. No one in this trailer park should have to move" Jughead argued. "This is just Hiram Lodge's vendetta against us..."

"Okay say it is, this is a battle that's bigger than us Jughead" Max leaned against the counter. "This isn't just some lame high school bully, this a diabolical manic who's using us as pawns in his game..."

"Look, he is planning something guys. Something big and bad, I just... I just have to figure out a different angle" Jughead breathed into his hands.

"You better be careful Jug, you're treading dangerous water" Max crossed her arms as FP nodded.

"I gotta head to work, you kids good on your own?" FP asked.

"Actually, I'm heading out too. I just wanted to see how you guys were holding up. I'll head out with you" Max said as she and FP left.

As they walked out of the trailer, FP put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure this out, kid. I promise..." FP made a promise to Jake on his grave that he was going to everything to protect his kids, and he was going to see that promise through.

"FP, can I ask you something?" Max turned to the man that became a father figure to her.

"Go for it..."

"How well did you know my mother?" Max asked him.

"I knew her well enough to say she drove your pops nuts" FP chuckled. "But loving someone can do that you..." FP remembers Miranda. The way that Jake looked at Miranda, he'd never seen anyone that in love before.

"Did he know that she was... you know?"

"That she was a Northsider? He didn't care" FP breathed out. "We cared more than he did..."

"How did it even work? How could a Serpent be with a Northsider?" Max tried to rack her head around the situation.

"I wasn't easy. Everyone was against them, even us" FP ran his head over his head. FP couldn't count how many arguments he had with Jake over Miranda. "But she didn't care about money or if he was Serpent, Miranda loved him just the way he was. We couldn't control who he fell for, we just had to have his back. Why do you ask?"

"Last night when I was coming home from the vote, my grandfather showed up at my trailer..." Max breathed out. "He kept coming around..."

"I remember that pompous son of a bitch" FP gritted his teeth. FP had a handful of encounters with the Riverdale Oil King and thy weren't the most pleasant experiences.

"He says he wants to be a part of me and Rafe's life" Max breathed out. "They were never around, how can I just let them into our lives? A part of me just can't trust them..."

"I don't blame you" FP gritted his teeth. "I wouldn't either."

"Why didn't you tell me? That I was part Northsider?" Max turned to FP.

"Because we didn't feel like it mattered. When Miranda chose Jake, she cut off any ties she had to the Northside" FP explained. "Look, all that doesn't matter. You were born and raised on the Southside, you'll always be one of us."

"It's just... not everyone might look at it that way" Max couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the Serpents would receive this, especially Sweet Pea. Out of all the Serpents, Sweet Pea held the most disdain for the Northside. She didn't want this to be what tears them apart.

"You thinking about Sweet Pea?"

"Out of all of us, he hates the Northside as much as I do. I don't want this to destroy us..."

"If he really cares about you, he'll know the real you" FP reassured her. Nodding her head, FP got on his bike and headed to Pop's for his shift. Max was hoping that this was the case. Max didn't want to lose the people she cared the most about over circumstances she couldn't help.

 **...**

Max along with Toni, Fangs, and Sweet Pea were chilling together at the Whyte Wyrm. They didn't feel like going into school today, and with the emotions coming to a head, they needed a break.

"No Jones?" Fangs asked.

"Nah, he's going on some trip with his Northside buddies" Max told them.

"Maybe we can all have a break from all of this" Sweet Pea hit the pool ball.

"Play nice" Toni pointed a finger at him.

"He couldn't if he tried" Fangs joked, earning a shove from his friend.

Max looked at Toni, Fangs, and Sweet Pea and keeping her secret was tearing her up. It was the four of them against the world for as long she could remember. When it came to it, she could count on the three of them to be there for her. They told each other everything, that's what kept keeping this secret harder.

"I need to tell you guys something..." Max breathed out. Max didn't want to be the person that kept secrets from the people she loves.

"What's up?" Toni asked.

"You guys know Nathaniel Hart?" Max breathed out, trying to steady her breathing. Max felt like her heart was going to explode.

"The guy that owns that huge oil company?" Fangs asked.

"Yeah him, me and Sweet Pea met him a few months ago..." Max looked at her boyfriend. "He gave me this huge check and I wasn't having it. After that, he just wouldn't leave me alone..."

"Do we need to take care of him?" Sweet Pea growled.

"No" Max put her hands up. "He came by my house earlier and he told me that he's my grandfather..."

"What?" Toni exclaimed.

"How is that possible?" Fangs asked, aghast.

"He's my late mom's father. But after she married my dad, she cut off any ties she had to the Northside" Max explained. "Just because their my grandparents, doesn't mean I hate the Northside anyless. They were never around. Them coming around now, it can't be a coincidence..."

"I can't believe your part Northsider" Fangs breathed out.

"That doesn't mean a damn thing" Max argued. "The Southside is all I've ever known. This place is my home..."

"Well, if you're not leaving us, I think we can deal with this" Toni wrapped an arm around her.

"You guys don't hate me?" Max asked them. Max was expecting them to ostracize her for this.

"You can't help who your grandparents are" Fangs walked next to her. "Besides, we know you're a Serpent at heart. This is gonna be a bit weird though, does this mean we can't rag the Northside in front of you anymore?"

"I would be insulted if you didn't" Max chuckled. Smiling, Max turned to Sweet Pea who was just sitting uncharacterically silent. "Sweet Pea?" Max spoke out. "Sweets, say something..."

Silently, Sweet Pea got up and left. Max was about to go after him only for Toni to stop her.

"Just give him some time to cool off. You know how he gets" Toni reassured her.

"He hates me..." Max breathed out.

"He could never hate you" Fangs put a hand on her shoulder. "He's been crazy about you since god knows when..."

Nodding her head, Max slumped in her seat as she drank her beer. Sweet Pea's reaction was exactly what Max feared. But keeping this secret was a double edged sword. The Serpents would resent her more if she kept this secret. For Max, there was no winning.

"I'll see you guys later..." Max downed her beer as she left. It was a short walk from the Wyrm to Southside Elementary. As Rafe was walking out, he immediately saw Max.

"Max, what are you doing here?" Rafe ran into his big sister's arms.

"I just wanted to see you" Max kissed the top of his head as they walked home together.

 **...**

Later that afternoon, Max was stomping up to Sweet Pea's trailer. At the door, Max pounded on the door, hoping that he would answer. Through all of this, Sweet Pea has been her rock and her support. Max didn't realize how much he meant to her until she saw him walk out that door. Max wasn't going to give up one of the best relationships she knew without a fight.

As Max pounded on the door, Sweet Pea opened the door.

"You don't get to walk to away from me!" Max gritted her teeth. "You don't get to leave!"

"Max..." Sweet Pea leaned his forearm against the doorway.

"You know me! I hate the Northside more than anyone, and my grandparents don't change that" Max rambled.

"Max will you..."

"Their pompous and pretentious and-" Max was cut off by Sweet Pea placing his lips on her's. Max felt her eyes flutter shut as she placed her arms on either side of his neck. Sweet Pea made Max's heart go crazy so effortlessly. No one has been able to do that before him. Everything Max wanted Sweet Pea to feel, she put it into this kiss. Max may have Northside blood, but she was by no means a Northsider...

As Sweet Pea pulled away, he smirked at her. "You done?"

"What was that for?" Max punched his shoulder.

"To get you to stop talking" Sweet Pea smirked. "I did a lot of thinking and I realized something..."

"What?"

"You may have Northside blood but you're a _Serpent_ " Sweet Pea wrapped his arms around her. "If they want you, they gotta go through me first..."

"You don't hate me?" Max was expecting Sweet Pea to cast her out because of this. She was not expecting him to be so understanding about this.

"I've been wanting this for years. I'm not letting you get away that easily" Sweet Pea leaned his forehead on her's.

Smiling against his forehead, Max felt all her fears melt away. Out of all the Serpents, Sweet Pea's opinion of her mattered the a lot to her. She has lost people she's loved before and she can't lose anyone else. This was going to be an adjustment, but it made her happy to know that her fellow Serpents weren't going to look at her differently.

As they stood there, their phones started ringing. It was a text from FP, telling them to come to the Wyrm. "Did FP text you too?" Max checked her phone.

"Yeah, let's go" Sweet Pea said as they got on his bike.

It was a short ride to the Wyrm. When Max and Sweet Pea walked in, they saw several Serpents drinking and celebrating together. Max looked around to see FP coming their way.

"FP, what's going on?" Max asked him.

"We're all staying at Sunnyside!" FP cheered. "The backrent, the evictions, all of it was taken care of!"

"We all get to stay?" Sweet Pea asked.

"Yeah!"

"That's awesome!" Sweet Pea high fived FP.

"How was that possible?" Twenty four hours ago, the Serpents were facing eviction and now suddenly they were all safe? Even Max knew that something about all of this didn't feel right.

"It was Jughead, he shamed Hiram into taking care of everything!" FP smiled. "He bought the trailer park and said we could all stay!"

Max's eyes widened, taking up her entire face. "I-I-I gotta call Jughead!"

Running out of the Wyrm, Max took out her cell phone and immediately called Jughead. As his phone rung, Max muttered, "Come on, come on Jug. Pick up..."

" _Hey, Max. What's up_?" Jughead asked.

"Jug, you're not gonna believe this..." Max wrapped her arms around herself as the chilly Riverdale air nipped at her.

" _What's going on_?"

"The eviction notices, the back rent all of it has been taken care of" Max informed him. "None of us have to leave."

" _That's amazing_! _How did this happen_?"

"Your dad told me what you did..."

" _What did I do_? _What are you talking about_?"

"Hiram Lodge, he bought Sunnyside! He said all of us could stay, but something about this doesn't feel right..." Max said frustrated. "Jughead the sooner you come back, the better..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **And so the battle begins...**  
 **There is a bit to unpack here. First, you get to see Max's first interactions with her grandparents since learning about them. And you get to see while her grandfather is more open to building a relationship with her and Rafe, her grandmother is a different story. Olivia is very conservative and traditional, as you can tell with her interactions with Max. I like to think of Olivia as a blend of Alice/Penelope. But what do you think of their interaction and their explanation as to why Max's mother left the Northside? Also, it seems Nathaniel and Hiram are up to something. But you guys just have to wait and see ;)  
Also, it seems Max wanted to come clean to Toni, Fangs, and Sweet Pea. Although they seem to be cool with Max and her grandparents, this will come back into play later on. But they seem to understand that Max is more loyal to the Southside than to the Northside. But trouble will be brew later on, I promise you guys that ;)  
Overall, what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	21. Where There's Smoke, There's Fire

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope everyone is having a beautiful day and had a great weekend! I just got back from a trip in Portland** **for school** **and it is absolutely gorgeous there, I definitely see myself going back there just for fun! But anyways, thank you for the favs/follows but please keep the reviews coming! If we can get to 50 reviews that would be awesome :) I love reading and replying to your guy's insights in the story. So keep 'em coming! I had a lot of fun writing these past few chapters because s**t is about to go down!**

 **In this chapter, Max and Jughead are starting to piece together what Hiram's endgame for the Southside, as well as her grandfather's involvement in everything.  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _Nothing no one does is ever by coincidence..._  
 _We're all chess pieces in someone's larger game, even when we don't realize it_..."

 **...**

Chapter XX. Where There's Smoke, There's Fire...

Max was in her trailer, doing some tidying up while Rafe was watching some TV. While there was some relief in knowing that they were all safe, Max still had this uneasy feeling in her gut. After learning that Hiram Lodge had bought Sunnyside Trailer Park, Max was starting to think that Jughead was onto something. It felt like everyone in Riverdale were pieces in Hiram's bigger game.

As Max cleaned up a bit, her phone went off. It was a text from Jughead, telling her to come over. "I'm going to Jughead's for a bit, will you be good for a little bit?" Max turned to Rafe.

"Yeah" Rafe reassured her.

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit" Max kissed the top of his head, before grabbing her Serpent jacket. It was a short walk to his trailer. Knocking on his door, Max was met by a sleep deprived Jughead.

"I got your text, what's up?" Max walked in to see a large wall with a boat load of information. On it was a large map, with lines marked, newspaper articles, and pictures of Hiram Lodge and his family. "Exactly how much free time do you have?" Max pointed to the wall.

"You joke now, but all this is going to help me get to the bottom of all this" Jughead breathed out.

"Why does it look like you haven't slept in days?" Max sat on the kitchen counter.

"Maybe cause I haven't..." Jughead went to pour himself a cup of coffee as FP walked in.

"Hey kids..." FP greeted them, before looking up at Jughead's workspace. "What's all this?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out" Max shrugged her shoulders.

"Hopefully, it's the article that saves the town from Hiram Lodge..."

"Jughead..." FP breathed out.

"... if I can fit the pieces together" Jughead poured himself some coffee before walking back to his workspace.

"Boy you need to drop this. He rescued us, he bought the trailer park, he forgave our debts" FP defended Hiram.

"He's the reason we almost lost the trailer park" Max sided with Jughead. "I'm with Jug, what if Hiram Lodge is up to something and we're the casualties?"

"Hiram's slicker than a bottle of snake oil, no doubt. But this is-" FP started before Jughead cut him off. "Dad, dad, please... Hiram Lodge just bought the Riverdale Register."

"What?" Max asked as FP looked on surprised.

"He's trying to silence the sounding voices before he makes his big play" Jughead explained. "He's afraid, he's afraid of this exposure..." Jughead pointed to the information he's been gathering.

"Well, Hiram's pretty allergic to bad press. He seemed pretty rattled about that article you were writing about him" Max walked up to them. "For him, being guilty in the court of public opinion is worse than the court of law..."

"He needs people on his side" Jughead breathed. "For whatever he's planning to work, he needs support..."

 **...**

The next morning, Max, Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs were walking into school. After the news of Sunnyside Trailer Park being under new ownership spread, a lot of the Serpents were able to breath again.

"I can't believe this all over" Toni breathed out relieved.

"Yeah..." Max sighed.

"You good?" Sweet Pea asked, wrapping an arm around her. Sweet Pea had known Max for years, that he knew when something was bothering her.

"I don't know, maybe Jughead might have a point... about Hiram Lodge."

"You know Jones can be a bit nuts sometimes" Fangs put his hands up. "Lodge did us a solid."

"He might be right about this one" Max defended. "Meet up after school?"

"I actually have plans after school" Toni declined.

"You have plans with your little Northside redhead?" Fangs raised an eyebrow.

"You and the Wicked Witch?" Max turned to her best friend, raising an eyebrow. Max has been so caught up all the drama with Jughead, her grandparents, and Sweet Pea, that she had no idea what Toni has been up to.

"Hey, don't talk about her like that" Toni defended Cheryl. "You guys don't know her..."

"Toni, you can't be serious. You and her?" Max chuckled. Max didn't care about Toni's sexual orientation, it was _who_ she chose to be involved with.

"Whatever, I'll see you guys at lunch" Toni rolled her eyes before heading to class.

"What's up with her?" Max asked Fangs and Sweet Pea.

"No idea" Sweet Pea put his hands up. "I'll see you later" Sweet Pea kissed the top of her head as he and Fangs headed to class. As Max walked the halls, she noticed Jughead in their club room. Knocking on the door, Jughead turned his attention to Max.

"Hey, what are you up to?" Max walked in.

"Trying to figure out what Hiram's game is" Jughead looked at the desk full of information he had.

"I think you need to sleep, you're driving yourself nuts over this" Max leaned against the desk as Archie came in.

"Hey, did I catch you guys at a bad time?"

"Nah, what's up?" Jughead asked.

"I need to ask you guys something..."

"Go for it" Max said, surprisingly cordial towards Archie.

"Are you still going after Hiram Lodge?"

"That depends. Who's asking? You? Veronica? The arch fiend himself" Jughead leaned back in his seat. Jughead was aware of his friend's connection to the businessman, so he couldn't help but question his loyalties. Jughead had a hard time figuring out if it was his friend talking to him, or Hiram.

"Guys, there's gonna be a special election to replace Josie's mom as Mayor. Hiram Lodge wants my dad to run..." Archie sat down.

"What? Why?" Jughead asked. Archie's father was yet another piece in Hiram's end game.

"Who freaking knows? Guys, I'm with Veronica so that means I'm in with the Lodges. But my dad... I can't let him get any deeper with them."

"So, tell him not to run" Max suggested.

"Veronica would kill me if I did. He did owe the Lodges" Archie explained. "Maybe I could give you guys something. Jughead maybe you could write about it, and that might make my dad hit pause..."

"Okay" Jughead accepted.

"Remember when Hiram Lodge gave Pop Tate that charitable donation to keep the diner open?" Archie asked them.

"Yeah, we were there..." Jughead remembered.

"It was all over the papers too" Max added.

"Except Hiram Lodge didn't give Pops a donation, he _bought_ the diner" Archie revealed.

"What?" Jughead exclaimed.

"For some reason he doesn't want anyone to know about it" Archie added.

"I thought he just wanted to acquire properties on the Southside?" Max questioned.

"Look, I don't know what he's up to" Archie breathed out. "But can you guys do something with that fact? At least enough to make my dad to think twice about this stupid mayor's idea."

"He bought the diner?" Jughead asked again.

"Yes!"

Taking out his map, Jughead circled another piece of property that Hiram Lodge bought. "My god, Hiram is like Dracula. He's snapping up properties from all over Riverdale to expand his empire and feed! If what you're telling me is true... everyone is in danger."

After school, Max was waiting for Sweet Pea and Fangs in front of the school. Aware of Hiram's plans, Max needed answers and she knew exactly where to get them.

"Hey, we got your text. What's up?" Fangs asked.

"You guys up for a field trip?"

"Where we going?" Sweet Pea asked.

"Turns out Hiram is a lot more diabolical than you guys think, I'll tell you guys on the way" Max handed them their helmets as they headed to the heart of the Northside. It was a short drive to the Hart Oil Company.

"Why are we here?" Fangs asked.

"To get some answers..." Max said as they marched inside.

"Excuse me, you can't just barge in here" an employee told the Serpents but they simply ignored her. Arriving at Nathaniel's office, Max barged in to see her grandfather doing some work at his desk.

"Max..." Nathaniel smiled. "What are you doing here? And you brought some friends."

"I'm not here for some quality family time" Max crossed her arms. "I came here for answers..."

"Alright" Nathaniel took off his glasses, folding his hands together as he was willing to cooperate with his granddaughter.

"Do you know Hiram Lodge?" Max asked. The expression: _birds of a feather flock together_ described the affulent and privileged class of Riverdale to a tee. Max knew how the Northside operated. People of similar social statuses often were associated together. Money spoke where words weren't needed.

"Yes, he's one of my business partners" Nathaniel smiled. "I've known him for years, actually helped him start up Lodge Industries." When Hiram was coming up in the business world, he actually interned at Hart Oil Company to learn all the fundamentals on starting a successful business. Nathaniel saw that Hiram had the potential to be a successful businessman. Hiram had a knack for looking outside the box, a trait Nathaniel had. Nathaniel also taught Hiram, that to be the best meant doing _whatever_ it took to succeed.

"You guys work together?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, we do..." Nathaniel answered Max honestly.

"So you know about the properties he's buying all over Riverdale. You know what he's up to?" Max asked her grandfather, only for him to say silent.

"Max, I can't tell you..."

"Why not?!"

"It's confidentiality between business partners..."

"He bought our school, he bought our trailer park! We have a right to know! He practically stole the Southside from us!" Max put her foot down. Max was tired of the lies and the secrets, all she wanted was the truth.

"Hiram is doing what's best for Riverdale, what's best for everyone" Nathaniel defended his business partner.

"If he's doing what's best for everyone, we have a right to know" Max gestured to herself, Fangs, and Sweet Pea. "Cause believe it or not, _we're_ part of Riverdale. And what he's doing is affecting us..."

"Max please-."

"Save it! If your just gonna politician your way out of this, then don't waste my time. But I swear to god, if something happens to the Serpents and I find out you and Hiram Lodge had something to do with it, we will bury you..." It was clear where Nathaniel's loyalties lied. A war was looming and Max knew where she stood and if winning meant going up against her grandparents, she'll do it.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well the first punch has been landed. Even though Max has Northside Blood, she was by no means a Northsider. This is a theme that's going to pop up a bit more. Also, for those who have seen the episode know there's a lot of things that are going on, so I broke it up into two parts.  
But everything is about to come to a head...  
It seems Max is starting to see what Jughead has been preaching. It's clear that Hiram Lodge is puppeteering everyone in Riverdale. What do you guys think of Max and Jughead as a team? I know I wouldn't mess with them hahaha.  
Also, there seems to be tension brewing between Max and Toni. I told you guys that there will be drama coming, but I wanted it to be in a way that people wouldn't expect. It's clear that Max isn't thrilled with Toni's budding romance with Cheryl. Thoughts?  
Finally, Max is starting to see that her grandfather is mixed up in Hiram's business. Do you think she went to far when she said she would bury him? Also, what do you think Nathaniel's transparency with Max. It's clear he does care about her, but Max isn't having it. Despite the disconnect and the prejudice, there's no changing that Max is Nathaniel's grandchild.  
Overall, what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	22. War of the World

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope everyone is having a beautiful day and I'm guessing you guys are as excited about the weekend as I am. Sorry if it feels like I'm a little off with my updating schedule, but school is picking up and I have a lot of deadlines to meet :/ I will try to get back into my regular updating schedule.  
** **Also, thank you for the all the favs/follows as always! Please don't be afraid to review, I love hearing your guy's insights on the story and what you guys think moving forward :) I love reading and replying too! So keep 'em coming!**

 **In this chapter, Max and Jughead get some startling information of what's to come for their home. And Max has a fiery confrontation with her grandfather that could fracture their relationship before it even begins...  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _You will fear us and we'll make you feel it..._ "

 **...**

Chapter XXI. War of the World...

Later that night, Max was with Jughead recapping everything that happened with her grandfather. If Max wanted to win this war, it meant putting everything out there. She had to be transparent with she trusts. Protecting her home was more important that protecting herself. Max knew what side she was, so she didn't have to justify anything to anyone. At this point, Max had to come clean to Jughead if it meant figuring out what Hiram Lodge's game was. They needed to work together if it meant winning this war.

"Wow, just... wow" Jughead breathed out.

"Yeah, I spent years ragging on them only to find out I'm one of them..." Max plopped down next to him. "But regardless, I might have Northside blood but it'll always be the Southside."

"Glad to know we won't lose you to the dark side" Jughead joked. Jughead had gotten to know who Max really was. Her heart has and always will be on the Southside, no matter what a DNA report will say. That's what Jughead respects about her.

"Not in this lifetime" Max punched his shoulder. When Max first met Jughead, she never would imagined she would be as close to him as she is now. She didn't anticipate this at all. "But I found out something interesting. Turns out my grandfather is business partners with Hiram Lodge..."

"What?" Jughead quickly turned to her.

"Yeah, he knows about Hiram buying up all the property he can all over Riverdale. But he refuses to tell me what he's up to" Max informed Jughead.

"Why not?"

"Apparently, it's business partner confidentiality. It's complete BS" Max leaned back.

"Is he on the project that Hiram is working on right now?"

"I'm pretty sure he is. He says whatever Hiram is planning it's good for Riverdale. But the fact that he can't tell me, it might be something bad and he knows it. It's like Hiram Lodge has my grandfather wrapped around his finger..."

"And Pops" Jughead breathed out. "I went to talk to him earlier and he's stuck between a rock and a hard place too."

"So Lodge did buy Pops?"

"Yep" Jughead breathed out. "Hiram's gonna beat the clock. It feels like every step I make, he's two or ten steps ahead of me. He's lapping me..."

"He's lapping both of us..." Max sighed. Max didn't want to be in this rabbit hole with Jughead. But now that she was in, she was _all_ in.

"Well he's been winning at this game a lot longer than you both have been alive" FP walked into the room, overhearing their conversation. Jughead and Max were in over their heads, picking this fight with Hiram Lodge.

"Yeah cause he's been rigging the game. He's got everyone so scared, no one wants to go up against him" Max added. "It's like fighting a battle you know you can't win..."

"You know, there's one person you haven't asked... to go on the record" FP sat on the coffee table, facing the two of them.

"Who?" Jughead asked.

"Me..."

"Back in the day, Hiram asked me and a bunch of Serpents to trash the drive-in so he could buy it for rock bottom price. We complied..." FP revealed.

"You worked for Hiram Lodge?" Max asked. She had a hard time believing that FP would do business for a crook.

"I'll own up to that, on the record if it'll help you guys bring him down..." FP could see that Hiram's business could put Jughead, Max, and the people he cares about in danger and he wasn't going to let that happen. Before they could respond, Jughead's phone started ringing.

"Hello..." Jughead answered.

" _Jughead Jones_ , _I have information about Hiram Lodge's plans. Riverdale Bus Terminal, 20 mins_..."

"Who was that?" Max asked.

"I have no idea, but you may not have to go on the record just yet, dad. Come on, Max" Jughead sped out the door with Max not too far behind him. The plot is thickening and suddenly there was more to Hiram Lodge's game than Jughead anticipated.

It was a short drive to the Riverdale Bus Terminal where Jughead was supposed to meet an informant that could tell him everything he needs to know about Hiram Lodge. "Why are we meeting him here?" Max looked around.

"I don't know..." Jughead breathed out. "Nothing anyone does surprises me anymore..."

"Yeah join the club" Max rolled her eyes. "You think he'll show up?"

"He has to, he might be the only one that could give us any kind of clarity..." Jughead sighed as they sat down on a bus bench. Once the last person left, it was just Max, Jughead, and a bus driver with his newspaper.

"I haven't much time..." the bus driver spoke out.

"Are you _Deep Throat_?" Jughead asked.

"You've been calling everyone in town for information about Hiram Lodge. But not me, that's why I called you..."

"No offense but how does a bus driver have the inside track on Hiram Lodge?" Max asked.

"I used to be someone else..." the bus driver to them, showing Max and Jughead his face. "Someone who was privy to Hiram Lodge's personal affairs. Someone who suffered at his whims."

"What kind of personal affairs?" Jughead asked.

"I coordinated personal transportation for Mr. Lodge. Sometimes out to Shankshaw Prison. He also received mail from the Warden there..."

"Shankshaw? Hiram Lodge didn't do time up there though" Max pointed out.

"I'm afraid that's all I have for you two..."

"That's it?" Jughead asked. There had to be more to this that the bus driver wasn't telling. But they weren't surprised if he was withholding that information if it meant guaranteeing his safety. But the fact that he was willing to meet Jughead and Max, meant he had nothing left to lose.

"One more thing, a question. Miss Veronica, how's she faring through all this?" the bus driver asked, concerned.

"What does Veronica have anything to do with this?" Max him.

Staying silent, the bus driver got up and left, leaving Max and Jughead with more questions than answers. Armed with this new information, Max and Jughead headed to Pops to debrief FP. As they walked in, FP was wiping down the counters before seeing them.

"How'd it go?" FP asked them.

"So Hiram Lodge's master plan has something to do with your old stomping ground, Shankshaw..." Jughead whispered. At this point, Hiram had eyes and ears everywhere and right now, Max and Jughead couldn't trust anyone.

"We've been trying to get ahold of the Warden all night and so far nothing..." Max added.

"That corrupt son of a bitch..." FP growled.

"Do you have an contacts on the inside that might know something?" Jughead asked.

"Yeah, Warbaby. He knows everybody's business."

"How soon can we go see him?" Max asked.

"We'll head up after my shift..." FP whispered as he got back to work.

 **...**

Once FP was done with his shift, he along with Max and Jughead headed up to Shankshaw. They felt this much closer to figuring out Hiram's scheme and this much closer to learning the truth. Whatever the truth was, it probably wasn't going to be good.

After signing in, FP, Jughead and Max were face to face with the head Serpent's friend on the inside.

"What's up Jonesy? You want me to knock some heads in here for you?" Warbaby smirked.

"Nah Warbaby, we need intel. You heard anything major going on behind the scenes? Maybe to do with a guy named Hiram? Hiram Lodge?"

Warbaby smirked. The name Hiram Lodge has floated around Shankshaw Prison. "Yeah, I've heard of Hiram Lodge. Heard the Warden float his name around, talking about opening another prison here in Riverdale..."

"Another prison?" Jughead asked.

"Yeah and wanna hear the best part? He's planning to do it on the Southside. Heard he's bought a ton of property that he's gonna use as collateral."

"The Trailer Park, Southside High, Pops" Max connected the dots. "This was his plan all along..."

"Thanks Warbaby..." FP thanked his friend.

"Hiram really is Satan incarnate..." Jughead gritted his teeth. Jughead was right and this prison was Hiram's end game.

 **...**

It was late at night and Nathaniel was heading out to his car after a long day of work. He had spent most of his day finalizing some last minute deals for Hiram's business venture. Now that he had acquired the land and funding needed for the project, all that was left was garnering support.

As Nathaniel opened his car, a hand immediately closed it. It was Max, and wasn't thrilled about Hiram's plans for her home.

"Are you serious?" Max sneered at her grandfather.

"Max, where did you come from?" Nathaniel tried to calm his racing heart. Max was truly like a Serpent, she moved with a stealth that no one could see her coming.

"Answer me..." Max grabbed her grandfather by his tie.

"You know..." Nathaniel breathed out. In the short time he had gotten to know his granddaughter, Nathaniel could see that she got her mother's headstrong and _never-say-die_ attitude. It was her attitude that caused Nathaniel to but heads with Miranda on more than one occasion.

"You knew what he was planning?!" Max tightened her grip on her grandfather's tie, starting to choke him.

"I was going to tell you..." Nathaniel strained, trying to breathe.

"When? Before or after they tore down my school?" Max growled into her grandfather's face, before letting go of his tie allowing him to breath again. Max gave Nathaniel the courtesy to breathe because she wanted to hear his explanation. "A prison? A damn prison?! How is a damn prison what's best for Riverdale?!" Max shoved her grandfather.

"It's not as bad as your making it seem" Nathaniel rationalized. "If this could keep you and Rafe safe, why not?"

"You never gave a damn about our safety before!"

"I do, I always have" Nathaniel defended himself. Even though Nathaniel wasn't around, that didn't mean Max and Rafe weren't in his mind or his heart.

"Are you serious? We never felt like we were not safe! But then you and Hiram Lodge came into our lives and ruined everything! The Southside isn't some vacant lot that's up for grabs, it's my home! _Rafe's_ home. We were born and raised there! You and Hiram Lodge have no freaking right to take our home away from us!" Max pushed him against his car.

"Max, please-"

"No!" Max roared. "I'm not gonna let Rafe think that the only thing in his future is working at a jail for a crook like you or Hiram Lodge! You don't have the right to control his future!" Nathaniel felt his heart drop when his own granddaughter called him a crook. "You think that we're gonna take this lying down? You think we're just gonna roll over? You're sadly mistaken..."

"Max..."

"No! You Northsiders have been stacking the deck against us for years and we're tried of it! And as long as I'm still breathing, You're not gonna take my school and your sure as hell not gonna take my home..." Max sneered into her grandfather's face.

"Max, you're a Northsider" Nathaniel walked towards her, only for her to point her pocket knife at his throat, making him back up.

"I will _never_ be a Northsider, and you will _never_ be my family" Max growled in his face. "You wanna fight this war? You better be ready because you have no idea what your dealing with..." Max landed the final blow to Nathaniel before leaving.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, the war has officially begun...  
There is a bit to unpack here but this chapter really kicks off the s**tshow that's about to happen in Riverdale. But everyone has to pick a side, but it's clear what side Max's is on...  
First, it's Max and Jughead against the world haha. Honestly, I didn't want Max's Northside heritage to solely be the story. It's just one piece of the whole puzzle. The Serpents know what side Max's is on. I know it's cheesy but blood doesn't make family, love and loyalty does. And Max may be related to Nathaniel but she loves and is loyal to the Serpents.  
Also, things are getting fiery between Max and Nathaniel. I don't blame Max for being disheartened and betrayed that Nathaniel is on board with Hiram Lodge's plans for Southside High. But do you think she went too far with what she's said? Calling someone a crook and renouncing your family ties is some pretty heavy stuff. But I will say this, while Nathaniel is complicit with Hiram's "business", there is more to this partnership than meets the eye but you'll just have to wait and see ;)  
Overall, what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	23. Choose Your Side

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope everyone had a great weekend and a great week! I don't have much to update you guys on, other than just keep the reviews coming.** **Also, thank you for the all the favs/follows as always! Please don't be afraid to review, I love hearing your guy's insights on the story and what you guys think moving forward :) I love reading and replying too! So keep 'em coming!  
** **In this chapter, news of Hiram Lodge's plans begin to spread throughout Riverdale and everyone's picking a side. Also, things get fiery between Max and a fellow Serpent that causes her to question their loyalty...  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _The crazy thing about fighting a war is that the people you_ _ **think**_ _are on your side are the ones that are out to get you...  
_ _And the people you can't stand are the ones you can trust the most..."_

 **...**

Chapter XXI. Choose Your Side...

 **...**

The next morning, Max was sitting on the hood of her Camaro, smoking a cigarette. Smoking was a way that Max could calm her nerves so she didn't fly off the hinges. After learning about Hiram Lodge's plans for the Southside and her grandfather's involvement in everything, Max was more on edge than ever. There was a reason that Max was so paranoid. Everyone had an agenda even the people that were close to her, whether for good or for bad.

As Max sat there, she was trying to figure out how to talk to Rafe about everything. She was done keeping Rafe in the dark with everything that was going on. Rafe deserves to know the truth because the Southside was his home and all of this affects him.

While Max took another drag of her cigarette, Rafe came out of their trailer, ready to go to school. "Max, you're up early" Rafe walked up to her.

"I couldn't sleep last night" Max threw the cigarette bud into the ground before stepping on it.

"You came home late last night, where did you go?" Rafe jumped up into the hood of Max's Camaro, sitting next to her.

"I was out with FP and Jughead" Max sighed. "Have you heard about everything that's going on?"

"I heard that some guy bought Southside High and the Trailer Park, but that's it" Rafe said all he knew. "I don't really know what's going on..."

"The guy's name is Hiram Lodge, he's the one that bought Southside High and the Trailer Park" Max revealed.

"Why'd he do that? He's like a gazillionaire. Why does he care about the Southside?" Rafe asked a valid question.

"The reason he bought Southside High..." Max wrapped an arm Rafe's shoulder. "He's... he's going to build a prison on there..."

"What?!" Rafe exclaimed. "He can't do that!"

"Well he did..." Max sighed. "That's the reason why me, Jughead, Toni, Fangs, Sweet Pea, why they sent all of us to Riverdale High."

"Am I going to have to work there?" Rafe whispered. Because he lived on the Southside, Rafe had little to no expectations of him to succeed and he _knew_ that. The fact that a 10 year old boy thinks that gets under Max's skin.

"What do you want to do?" Max asked her little brother.

"I... I want to design motorcycles" Rafe smiled. When it came to working on her motorcycle, Rafe and Max were happy to share that time together. Rafe and Max remember working on their father's motorcycle when they were kids.

"You never mentioned that to me..." Max ran her fingers through his hair.

"I remember fixing up dad's bike with him, it was the most fun I've ever had" Rafe smiled. "I want to make the perfect motorcycle for everyone."

"Then that's what you're gonna do, and I'm gonna do everything I can to get you there" Max reassured him.

"So I don't have to work at the prison?" Rafe asked.

"Not if I have something to do with it. I won't let them take away your future." Max brought Rafe into her body, as he nuzzled his head into her shoulder. Max will be damned if she lets Hiram Lodge marginalize her brother, who was all the potential in the world despite where he's from. "Come on, let's get you to school..."

Nodding his head, Rafe and Max got into her mom's Camaro as she took drove them to school. Once she got to Southside Elementary, Max smiled at Rafe, "Have a good day. If anything happens, lemme know cause I _will_ find out."

"Got it" Rafe smiled as he went to school. After dropping Rafe off, Max headed to Riverdale High to suffer through another day. Once she parked her car, Max was walking up the steps to see Fangs and Sweet Pea waiting for her.

"Hey, have you guys heard?" Max asked them.

"Yeah, Jughead called us" Sweet Pea gritted his teeth. "A damn prison."

"The princess better watch herself" Fangs added as they walked into the cafeteria for breakfast. As they walked into the cafeteria, Betty flashed them a smile.

"Hey, do you guys wanna eat with us?"'

"Not a chance" Fangs sneered.

"Sorry, we don't eat with liars and manipulators" Max directed her insult at Veronica, making her look away.

"Hey, lay off her" Archie defended his girlfriend.

"You better watch yourself Andrews. Cause if you don't, I'll bash your skull in" Sweet Pea grabbed Archie by the collar.

"And I'm not gonna stop him" Max smirked.

"Enough!" Veronica shouted.

"Whatever, you're not worth the energy" Max rolled her eyes. "We'll see you after school, Jones" Max, Fangs and Sweet Pea went to an empty table.

"This is getting intense" Fangs sighed.

"Just like I like it" Max smirked. "No Toni?"

"She's probably waiting around for her little River Vixen" Sweet Pea teased.

"Toni could do so much better" Max rolled her eyes as she ate her apple.

As everyone ate, Ethel Muggs made her way to Veronica with a milkshake from Pops in hand. Ethel was another victim of Hiram Lodge and his corrupt ways. It was because of Hiram that Ethel and her family lost everything. "Veronica?"

"Hey, Ethel" Veronica greeted her.

"For your crimes against the town of Riverdale, for everything you and your family have done and continued to do, we find you guilty. Your sentence is this..." Ethel threw the milkshake all over Veronica, earning gasps from all over the cafeteria. Max along with Fangs and Sweet Pea didn't fail to hide their laughs.

"What do they say? Karma's a bitch?" Max smirked.

"She deserves it" Sweet Pea added as the three of them left the cafeteria. They had bigger fish to fry than some meaningless yet entertaining Northside drama.

 **...**

After an excruciatingly long first few classes, Max, Fangs, and Sweet Pea were hanging by the gym as they watched Toni try out for the River Vixens. As Toni danced, Max couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Is she seriously doing this?"

"I mean, it's kinda hot" Sweet Pea smirked as he watched one of his longest friends shake her hips, earning an elbow in the gut from his girlfriend. Max did not appreciate her boyfriend checking out her best friend.

"Still, why does she care so much about them?" Fangs asked.

"Beats me" Max snarled as Toni earned an applause as well as a smile from Cheryl.

"Well, I don't think there's any way you amateurs are going to top that so practice is over Vixens" Cheryl smiled. "Inner Circle Vixens hang back. You know who you are..." As the Vixens left, Betty, Veronica, Toni, and Josie stayed behind with Cheryl. "In honor of Toni joining our squad, I think we should celebrate. With a mandatory slumber party at Thistle House. Fancy dressing gowns are appreciated, you've all seen the beguile right? Dinner at eight, parlor games to follow" Cheryl smiled before leaving.

As Toni was about to follow her, she looked over to see Max, Fangs, and Sweet Pea brooding on the far side of the gym. As she was about to go up to them, Toni received an icy reception from her fellow Serpents before they left her. It was clear they didn't appreciate her cuddly relationship with Cheryl, especially Max.

After school, Max was about to get into her mother's Camaro until she got a text from Jughead. It was a picture of a demolition notice for Southside High. Rather than have a few weeks notice, the demolition crew was going to level Southside High in two days.

"Damn it!" Max slammed her fist on the hood of her car, denting it.

 **...**

The next morning, Max and Jughead were more on edge than ever. They were in their club room leading a meeting to their fellow Serpents. After learning about the demolition of Southside High, Max and Jughead were willing to do anything to fight for their school. But they needed some support. This was a battle they can't fight alone.

"This isn't a demolition notice, it's a notice of extermination" Jughead crumpled up the notice before tossing it in the trash.

"We've already said our goodbye to Southside, Jughead" Toni leaned back in her seat.

"Today is Southside High, tomorrow it's the Wyrm. Everything that makes the Southside home is gonna disappear. If we roll over now, it's all over!"

"It's just a building, Jug" Toni rationalized.

"Seriously Toni?" Max stood up. "That school was _our_ place, the soul of the Southside. Our ancestors fought and died trying to protect it. Our parents fought to keep our place safe during the riots when they were trying to exterminate us like vermin! They've done their parts, now it's our turn. I don't know about you guys but I refuse to give up school without putting up a goddamn fight!" Max tried to get the Serpents to understand what was at stake. "My father told me that if we're gonna fight then we need to fight for something _meaningful_. They stole the Southside from us and now we need to take it back!"

"I'm sorry guys, I can't..." Toni stood up and left. Toni has said her goodbyes to the Southside and she didn't see herself going back. Toni was in a better situation on the Northside now.

Annoyed, Max followed her. "Are you seriously walking away right now?"

"Max, I don't see the point. Are you and Jughead really picking this fight now? It's not worth it! You're not gonna win!"

"Not worth it? Are you seriously forgetting? Last time I checked, you're from the Southside, you live on the Southside!"

"But we're here, now! Why can't you let us have that?" Toni fought back.

"Really Toni? So this has nothing to do with your little redhead?" Max taunted Cheryl. The minute Max brought up Cheryl, Toni started to get angry. It was clear she was falling for the River Vixen.

"Don't bring her into this..." Toni growled.

"It's true! Look at yourself! You're here playing house with Cheryl, dancing with River Vixens, you're being something your not!"

"Sorry for trying to make the most out of my situation!" Toni bit back.

"There's a difference between making the most out of your situation, and then there's being a poser..." Max challenged her. "Wake up! You will never be part of this world, and you're kidding yourself if you think you are. They'll never accept you. We'll always be trash to them!"

"You better watch what you say next..." Toni got in Max's face, but she wasn't phased. It took a lot to intimidate Max but Toni accepted the challenge. "Last time I checked, you're a Northsider..."

"Are you kidding me? You think _I_ benefited from the spoils of being a Northsider? I was put down by the same people that were supposed to accept me. I've had to deal with scrutinized and discriminated against because of where I grew up, just like you. I'm gonna keep saying it until you get it, I have Northside blood but I will never be a Northsider. I know what side I'm on and I would never turn my back on my family" Max got in Toni's face. "It's clear you already have..."

"You don't get to question my loyalty..."

"I can do that when you're at the beckon call of your little girlfriend" Max sneered at her. "We've always had your back, can you say that about Cheryl? Can you say that she would throw herself into the fire to protect you, like we can?" Toni stayed silent. Toni wasn't sure and Max knew that. Max has proven her loyalty to Toni, something Cheryl hasn't done.

Before things could get even more heated, Jughead, Sweet Pea, and Fangs came out. It was clear that if they had come out any later, a fight would break out.

"What's going on out here?" Jughead asked.

"Nothing..." Toni backed up.

"We're fighting a war Toni, whose side are you on?" Max crossed her arms. Refusing to pick, Toni turned her back and left.

"You guys never fight" Fangs sighed. Max and Toni may have their disagreements, but they were sisters. They never fought like this.

"It's clear what we mean to her" Max breathed out. "She's picked her side, there's nothing I do..."

"Well, you told us to fight for something meaningful" Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around her. "It's time we fight for our school."

"That place was a rundown piece of crap, but it's _our_ rundown piece of crap..." Fangs smirked.

...

Later that night, Max was finishing up chaining Jughead, Fangs, and Sweet Pea to Southside High. While Max wanted to be chained as well, it was better for the Serpents to have as many eyes around Riverdale as possible.

"You good?" Max adjusted the chains so they would be comfortable.

"Yeah" Sweet Pea assured her. "How do you just have chains lying around?"

"Don't ask" Max smirked. "You think this will work?"

"It will..." Jughead smirked as Archie arrived on his bike, just like he anticipated. "Well well well, the calvary's finally here. Guess we got Hiram's attention."

"Are you nuts? Chaining yourself to this place? They're gonna tear it down in two days, dude" Archie tried to get Jughead to come to his senses.

"Not unless Hiram wants the blood of eight young Serpents on his hands" Jughead scoffed. Hiram was egomaniacal maniac, but he wasn't completely heartless. Manhandling a bunch of teenagers fighting for their school was a bad look on him and Hiram doesn't need anymore bad press. "We're not going anywhere."

"Why don't you say hi to your boss for us?" Max smirked as Archie left.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well that just happened** **There is a bit to unpack here...  
** **First, Max decides to be transparent with Rafe. Throughout the story, Max has kept Rafe in the dark to protect him, but everything Hiram's doing is affecting him. While Max wasn't completely honest with him about everything, at least she told him one piece of the story. What do you guys think of their conversation? And Rafe's aspirations to design motorcycles? I will say this, Hiram has no right to take control of the Southside's destiny.  
** **Also, probably the big part that takes place in the chapter is the fiery confrontation between Max and Toni. I did tell you guys that there was going to be drama in a way that you guys didn't expect. What do you guys think of Max and Toni going at it? Does Max have a point? Is Toni's budding relationship with Cheryl clouding her judgement? Is Toni pretending to be something she's not, trying to fit in somewhere she'll never be accepted?  
Or is Toni right? Are Max and Jughead fighting a battle they will not win?  
Also, I love the quote Max uses: " _if we're going to fight, we're gonna fight for something meaningful_..." Do you think the fight Max and Jughead are fighting is meaningful?  
** **Overall what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/All feedback is welcome!  
** **Please Read &Review**


	24. Drawing Lines of War

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope everyone is having a great day! We're so close to the weekend, I can feel it.** **Sorry for not updating for a minute, I have just been so exhausted lately. School has been getting crazy and any free time that I do get, I just end up resting. But I'm getting back into my groove.  
Also, these past few episodes of Riverdale had just blown my mind! The Black Hood is back to raise hell and I love it. Also, RIP Midge. I don't want to spoil too much for people haven't seen them. But I will say that the recent episodes will set some really cool storylines I have planned moving forward.  
** **In this chapter, secrets get revealed and everyone is divided...  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _When it comes to the people you love_ , _nothing is off limits..._ "

 **...**

Chapter XXII. Drawing the Lines of War...

The next morning, Max came to Southside High to check up on the Serpents. They had made it through the night and it was clear they were exhausted. "How are you guys holding up?" Max walked up to Fangs and Sweet Pea.

"Feel like crap, this better be worth it" Fangs sighed.

"No one ever said fighting a war would be easy" Max chuckled as she wrapped arms around Sweet Pea's torso. Max could feel how cold he was. "God your freezing..."

"Yeah, gotta love these cold Riverdale nights" Sweet Pea kissed the top of her head. "No Toni?" Sweet Pea asked.

"She hasn't called, and I don't _expect_ her to" Max sighed. "She's picked her side, there's no changing her mind..."

"You guys need to work this out, she's your best friend" Fangs reasoned out.

"I would've agreed until she picked Cheryl over us" Max frowned. "It's when your fighting war that you know who's got your back and who doesn't. I gotta get to school, I'll see you guys later" Max bumped fists with Fangs and kissed Sweet Pea. "Are you guys gonna be good for a few more hours?"

"We will be, they'll make sure of it..." Fangs gestured over to FP and a few of the Veteran Serpents in the close vicinity, to make sure no one messes with them. FP understood and respected what they were fighting for.

"Alright" Max breathed out as she headed to school with Betty.

"I can't believe they're doing this" Betty sighed, worrying about her boyfriend's safety.

"Believe it Cooper, to win a war you have to do whatever it takes" Max smirked being surprisingly cordial with the Northsider. As they approached school, Veronica and Josie were getting ready to perform a concert to endorse the former's bid for Student Council President.

"We live in uncertain times, but here's one thing I'm very certain of. My girl Ronnie here..." Josie smiled at Veronica. "Along with her running mate: Betty Cooper has my vote to be Riverdale High's next student council President and Vice President! And of course we remind everyone, especially the women to vote and be heard this election."

Cheering, the students gave Josie and Veronica their support as they began singing _Sufferin Till Suffrage_. As they sang, Max sat there completely disinterested. Max had a feeling that Veronica was doing this as a form of damage control, not because she actually gave a damn about the student body. Veronica cares more about controlling the narrative, than owning up to her involvement in the recent events that culminated in the Southside being sold off to the highest bidder courtesy of her father. Max knows that her voice and the voice of the Serpents don't matter to her. All she cared about was protecting herself.

As she sat there, Ethel came out handing out fliers to everyone in attendance. Looking down at the flier, it was a picture of Veronica with devil horns drawn on her and some revealing information. It revealed that Veronica knew about Southside High closing down and about it being converted into a prison. Veronica was puppeting the students at Riverdale High, just like her father is puppeting the residents of Riverdale. Max was starting to see red as she glared a hole at Veronica.

"What's going on?" Veronica stepped away from the microphone as Ethel handed her a flier. "Where did you get all this information?"

"Does it matter? It's the truth isn't it?"

"I don't understand. I told you we were making amends, that your dad would get a job offer..."

"You mean your half-hearted bribe? Yeah to little too late" Ethel said unapologetically as Max and Betty stood up.

Not being able to contain her anger anymore, Max stomped over to Veronica. "What the hell is this?" Max held up the flier.

"Max, I-I-I-I can explain-" Veronica stuttered only to be met with a slap in the face, met by gasps by the crowd.

"Hey!" Archie stepped up for his girlfriend only to be met by a finger from Max. "You better think twice about what you do next Red. Cause I'm not gonna be afraid to kick your ass right here, right now..." Gulping, Archie took a step back. Archie knew what Max was capable of and has seen it. With her anger, Max was essentially a ticking time bomb. "You better watch your back because we're coming for you, and this time it's not a threat. It's guarantee..." Max stomped off as Veronica held her cheek. Glancing up, Veronica was met by a look of disappointment from Betty.

It's clear that Southside wasn't the only one divided...

 **...**

Later that night, as Max was approaching Southside High she was met by FP. "What are you doin here so late?" FP asked her.

"Wanted to check up on everyone" Max breathed out. "You?"

"Figured they could use a pick me up" FP held up some take out bags from Pops. Chuckling, Max and FP approached Southside High to see Jughead as the last Serpent standing. "The last man standing" FP smirked. "Talk about no Serpent left behind..."

"Where is everyone?" Max looked around for Sweet Pea and Fangs.

"They were claiming frostbite, they'll be back after some coffee" they could hear the exhaustion in Jughead's voice. "And warm up..."

"Too bad, I got a dozen burgers. Guess they're all yours now" FP tossed the burger bag to his son. Jughead was very reluctant to take the food because he was still deep in his hunger strike, in protest for Southside High. Jughead was close to seeing his goal through and he didn't want to throw in the towel. "Come boy, it's just us. We ain't tellin anyone you broke your hunger strike."

Conceding, Max unlocked Jughead's chains as the three of them enjoyed some burgers, as they sat on top of the steps of Southside High. As Jughead wolfed down the burgers, Max joked, "Slow down Jones."

"Try not eating for two days and get back to me" Jughead chewed as he finished his third burger.

"So, just like clockwork I got a call from Hiram" FP revealed.

"What's he offering this time?" Jughead asked.

"You know, how they're saying SoDale will mostly be low-income housing. Well apparently, they'll be a few penthouses at the top. Would be more than enough space for all of us" FP referred to his family as well as the Serpents. "Your mom, Jelly, just like you always wanted."

"Just imagine me, standing on that balcony and looking over a prison. Right in the same spot where my friends and I used to go to school" Jughead sighed. "Jellybean, growing up in a town where her best hope or only hope, aside from getting the hell out is to work at the prison?" Jughead hung his head down. He didn't want that for his sister or for the rest of the Serpents.

"Tell me about it" Max sighed. "I told Rafe about the plans for Southside High this morning, he asked me if he had to work there. You know how messed up that is? For an nine year old to think his only option is to work for a crook like Hiram Lodge? To be expected to work at a prison because they think he can't be anything else? It's not right..." Max was a fighter and she wasn't going to let Hiram take control over her little brother's future.

"What did you say to Hiram?" Jughead asked.

"Nothing. I hung up on his ass, went to Pop and got some burgers" FP joked, earning smiles from Max and Jughead. With the tensions running high, it was nice for them to smile. Wrapping his arm around each other them, Max and Jughead placed their head on either one of FP's shoulders.

 **...**

The next morning, a crowd of Riverdale Residents were chanting for Southside High to be saved, with Sheriff Kellar trying to keep everyone in line. After a few days, news of Hiram Lodge's plans for Southside High had spread. It was clear that Hiram's character had been called into question.

As everyone chanted, Archie went through the crowd armed with a bolt cutter followed by his fellow Bulldogs. As Archie approached Jughead and Max, FP cut him off.

"The cops may let you by Red, but you come in here acting like a big man and I will knock you down" FP threatened. If it meant protecting Jughead, Max, and the Serpents, FP wasn't above taking out a teenager.

"Dad don't, they'll throw you in jail don't give him an excuse" Jughead held his father back.

"He's not worth it anyway" Max glared.

"I'm sorry Jughead" Archie apologized.

"Me too" Jughead whispered. "I'm not gonna fight you, Archie. Look around..." all the Riverdale residents present had their phones out, filming everything. "May have taken a couple of days but people know what Hiram Lodge is doing. What's happening here. This fight is not going to go away, _we're_ not going to go away. So go on cut us down, only let me see you do it" Jughead held his wrists out. Jughead knew who Archie was and what this action met. Cutting those chains meant they were on opposite ends of a war.

After a brief pause, Archie cut Jughead loose as the rest of the Bulldogs proceeded to unchain the rest of the Serpents.

Once they were unchained, Archie and the Bulldogs escorted the Serpents off the premises. Shoving him forward, Jughead gave Archie a cold glare as he stood alongside Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Max. It was clear whose side Jughead was on.

The lines have been drawn and the gauntlet has been thrown...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well the war has officially begun and everyone has picked their sides. There is a bit to unpack here.  
** **There Serpents aren't going to give up their school without a fight. What do you think about their resilience? I don't want to say that this fight is meaningless, but I will say that winning is going to be difficult.**  
 **Also, what do you think of Max's confrontation with Veronica? Do you think what she did was justified? Or was she too hard on her. I will say that Veronica being punished for this sins of her parents isn't fair, but she does deserve some blame for manipulating her classmates and friends. As for Max, I feel her anger is justified. To find out about Veronica's involvement in the manner she did, I would personally confront her too.  
Also, what do you guys think of FP's moment with Jughead and Max? It's clear that neither one of them wants a bleek future for their families and the people they love.  
Overall, what do you guys think of the chapters as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
The lines have been drawn and Riverdale has been the most divided that it's ever been. The next few updates will be pretty intense so be ready!  
Please Read&Review**


	25. Ticking Time Bomb

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope everyone is having a great weekend! I'm currently in San Francisco with my brother and boyfriend for a basketball game! It was a great guy and hopefully I can come back! Thank you so much for the favs/follows it means a lot! Don't be afraid to review! I love hearing your guy's feedback on the story and all that awesome stuff! I'm almost caught up with all the Riverdale episodes and I have some fun stuff planned out for you guys.** **  
** **In this chapter, tensions come to head at a school hall for Riverdale Student Council. Max and Toni have an open and honest conversation since their falling out, and the Serpents question Betty's loyalty.  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _We're in a powder keg ready to blow..._  
 _One spark and we're all done for_..."

 **...**

Chapter XXIII. Ticking Time Bomb

After the events that transpired the other day, Riverdale High was more divided than ever. Everyone had an opinion on what was to come to Southside High and Veronica's involvement in the entire situation. Tensions couldn't be anymore higher.

After dropping off Rafe, Max approached Riverdale High to see Sweet Pea and Fangs waiting for her.

"How you holding up?" Fangs asked.

"I've been better" Max sighed as Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around her. The three of them walked into school and when they entered the hallway, they saw Toni standing with Veronica. Toni glanced over her shoulder to see her fellow Serpents glaring at her. Not wanting to give Toni the satisfaction, the three of them walked away, leaving the pink haired Serpent disheartened. Since her argument with her a few days ago, Toni was essentially ostracized from the rest of the Serpents. It got to the point where Toni limited her visits to club meetings to spare any kind of arguments. Even though Toni was starting to like her life on the Northside, there was no denying that she was a Serpent and that Max, Sweet Pea, and Fangs are her family. But it was clear that they wanted nothing to do with her.

"You okay?" Veronica asked her.

"Uh... yeah" Toni snapped back to reality. "Sorry about Max, about what she did..."

"I don't blame her, she's mad" Veronica sighed. Veronica was done denying that she had no involvement in all of this. All she could do was control her actions and decisions. "They all are..."

"Give them some time, they'll get over it" Toni reassured her, but she knew that wasn't going to be the case. The Serpents were good at many things, including holding grudges.

"I'm hoping" Veronica sighed.

"Good luck at the School Hall" Toni smiled as she went into the auditorium.

The Riverdale Auditorium was packed to the brim with people to listen the candidates that were running for Student Council. But this forum wasn't just about who could better Riverdale High. It was a battle with every candidate having an agenda and something to prove.

"Why are we here again?" Fangs rolled his eyes.

"I'll tell you afterwards" Max breathed out as she saw Jughead and Betty sit down. Jughead and Betty were running for President and Vice President of Riverdale High. While Max wanted to praise her fellow Serpent for having initiative, she didn't know if she could get on board with this. It would be difficult for them to garner any kind of support, given that the Serpents weren't the most beloved in Riverdale High.

"Okay now just a quick reminder that this School Hall is a PTA sponsored event" Alice Cooper reminded everyone in attendance. "Oh, it looks like we have our first question..."

"Yeah no offense to the current administration..." Sweet Pea stood up with Max and Fangs alongside him. "But it doesn't feel like anyone is looking after the students who are being bussed in from the Southside, is that gonna change?"

"Absolutely Sweet Pea. That's our priority" Jughead reassured him, as the three of them shared unamused looks. Jughead and Betty may feel that way but everyone else doesn't. "No one should feel marginalized or excluded here."

"Jughead and I will be representing all students, North and Southside alike" Betty added.

"Next question!" Alice cut off Betty. "Yes Midge..."

"My question is for Archie and Veronica..." Midge stood up. "Rumor has it that your parents will soon be on opposite sides of the mayoral election. Won't that negatively affect your working relationship?"

"Archie and I will adhere to the old maxim that politics are never discussed at the dinner or the cafeteria" Veronica quipped, earning laughs throughout the auditorium.

"Veronica and I are on the same page about everything, including her family's plans for a prison on the Southside" Archie added, making the tension in the room spike up.

"I'm gonna kick his ass..." Max gritted her teeth, only for Sweet Pea to hold her back.

"Don't, there are more of them then there are of us" Sweet Pea calmed her down.

"I need a smoke" Max sighed as she left the Student Hall.

Max made her way out of the auditorium and went out to the student parking lot. Taking out a pack from her denim jacket, Max pulled out her father's old lighter from inside her boot.

As she took a long drag, a voice spoke out. "I thought you didn't smoke anymore?" Max turned around to see Toni.

"I had to get out of there or else I was gonna kick someone's ass" Max breathed out, taking another drag. "What do you want Topaz? Shouldn't you be fooling around with your little redhead?"

"Max please..." Toni pleaded to her. "Can we just talk?"

Rolling her eyes, Max took one more drag to calm her nerves before throwing the bud on the ground. Stepping on it, Max crossed her arms. "Okay, talk..."

"Remember when we were kids? We always wondered what it would be like to live on Northside?"

"Yeah, was that before or after they told us that we don't belong in Riverdale?" Max chuckled, unamused.

"Max, I hate fighting with you. You're my best friend, it doesn't have to be like this. We're in a good spot right now, why can't you just accept it?"

"Because they'll never accept _us_ " Max sneered. "To them, we'll always be criminals, wastes of space they'll just throw out to make something better. That's how it is, how it's always been."

"It doesn't have to be like that..."

"But it is. If I remember correctly, your girlfriend told us that we didn't belong here. What changed?"

"She's been through some stuff... a lot of stuff" Toni sighed. In the time she had gotten to know Cheryl, Toni was starting to see that Cheryl was not all that bad. That Cheryl was putting up a strong front to hide the fact that she's suffering on the inside. "She's not as bad you think..."

"She hasn't given me a reason to think otherwise. And newsflash, she's isn't the only one who's been through things. She's never been spit on, she's never been pushed around and exterminated like vermin. That's _our_ reality, Toni. " Max opened old wounds. "Toni, we've been through hell and back together. We've always had your back. Do you know how much it hurt when you picked them over us?"

"Max..."

"You might not want to let yourself believe it, but like it or not, Southside High is our home. The Southside is where we come from. Where we grew up, made memories together, where we became Serpents together. Where _I_ became who I am. I can't let them destroy the one place that matters most to me, the place that gave me my family..." Max gritted through her teeth. "That prison is what they think of us. Disposable, that the only we're good for is working in a prison..."

"That's not true..."

"They've really got your mind warped, but I guess that's what happens when you fall in love" Max chuckled bitterly. "I'm done telling you what do Toni, I'm done. But lemme ask you this. When this war is over and the dust settles and you look around, can you say that Cheryl will still be there for you? That she's going to fight for you like we do?" Toni stayed silent. "It's when you're in battle that you see who's really on your side. You better be careful Toni. The people you wanna trust are the people that are out to get you..."

With that said, Max left, leaving Toni by herself. For Max, loyalty was simple: you were either _with_ her or _against_ her. Toni couldn't be with Cheryl without the Serpents taking offense to it. Toni couldn't have it both ways. But while Toni couldn't agree with her methods, she couldn't help but think that Max had a point. No matter how far she tried to run from it, Toni had and will always be from the Southside.

Walking back into Riverdale, Sweet Pea and Fangs were walking out of the auditorium looking for her. "You good?" Sweet Pea.

"I'm good" Max ran her fingers through her hair. "Is it over?"

"Yeah, talk about a massive waste of time" Fangs rolled his eyes as they saw Jughead and Betty walking up to them.

"What the hell was that?" Sweet Pea gritted his teeth.

"Come on guys" Jughead put his hands up, as Max got in between them.

"Enough, we need to stick together. Club meeting now" Max demanded as they walked to their classroom. Inside, Max and Jughead stood in front of the classroom as the rest of the Serpents went to their seats.

"Sweets calm down" Mary tried to calm down her boyfriend.

"You promised us a war, then you're on stage lookin like Buddy Holly sucking up to the Northside" Sweet Pea sneered at Jughead.

"We need those votes, Sweet Pea. It's the only way we can affect any change. Whose ever elected gets a seat on the school board, that means we're on the inside..."

"In the meantime we're sitting ducks" Max rolled her eyes. The more time they were wasting was time they could be using to fight back.

"No war was won overnight" Jughead reassured her. "A seat on the school board means they can't silence us..."

"You and the Northside Princess, you mean?" Fangs raised an eyebrow as every Serpent glared at Betty.

"Wait, is that why you guys are pissed? Betty's on our side!" Jughead defended his girlfriend.

"Yeah! I've helped the Serpents on numerous occasions!" Betty defended herself. "I-I helped find the Picken's Statue head. I got Cheryl to testify in court so FP, your king could get early parole..."

"You did all that for your boyfriend, not the Serpents" Sweet Pea dismissed everything.

"Alright, take it down Sweet Pea" Jughead gritted his teeth.

"What? It's only a matter of time before she bails on us, just like her mother..." Every Serpents knows Alice Cooper's story. Once a respected Serpent, Alice bailed on them after she got caught by the Sheriff. Cutting all ties from the Southside, Alice has been smearing the Serpents ever since despite being one of them. Alice was determined to rewrite history and the Serpents didn't appreciate it.

"Okay, so you're objections aren't even about me. They're about my mom" Betty argued.

"Her legacy, yeah. She's an enemy of the Serpent state, taking shots at us in the register for years. Blaming us for crimes we didn't commit. Running with the turncoat's daughter is a slap in the face, and for that reason alone you're not getting the Serpent vote..." Sweet Pea sneered.

"Max come on. Say something" Jughead turned to her.

Max turned her gaze to Betty, "If Jughead wasn't a Serpent, would you give a damn about us?"

"I..."

"It's simple: yes or no? Would you look at us any differently if Jughead wasn't one of us?" Max doubled down. "You had no problem pointing a finger whenever anything happened. All you've done is prove your loyal to your boyfriend, not to us..."

"Max..." Jughead breathed out.

"You proven nothing to us, the decision stands" Max stood up. "I'm sorry Jug. I understand what you're trying to do for us, but you can't blame us for not trusting her. I'm sorry, you're not getting the Serpent vote..."

After a very tense meeting Swords and Serpents club, Max was headed to class only to be met by her grandfather.

"My god are you serious?" Max rolled her eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Had to come show my support" Nathaniel smiled. "How have you been?"

"Better before you showed up. But you didn't answer my question, why are you here? Shouldn't you be getting ready to tear down my school?"

"Please don't be like this" Nathaniel tried to walk towards her, but Max backed up.

"What it's the truth" Max sneered at him.

"Actually..." Before Nathaniel could speak, Hiram and Hermione made their way over to them.

"Nathaniel, good to see you" Hiram smiled.

"Hiram, Hermione" Nathaniel shifted from side to side. "I hear you're running for mayor, good for you."

"I have a vision for Riverdale, and I hope with your support it will come into fruition" Hermione smiled.

"Seriously?" Max turned to her grandfather. The Lodges vision for Riverdale was to either break the Southside into submission or cast them out if they even thought to fight back.

"Hiram, Hermione, meet my granddaughter: Max" Nathaniel introduced the her to his associates.

"Granddaughter?" Hiram's eyes widened. "You're Miranda's child?"

"Don't sound so surprised" Max sneered at him. "I gotta go, I'm gonna go to class. I wanna say it was nice meeting you but I don't wanna lie..." with that said Max left to go to class, leaving Nathaniel with Hiram and Hermione.

"I see she has Miranda's moxie" Hermione sighed. Hermione remembers Miranda from their teenage years, and the former considered her as a rival. Whatever Hermione did, Miranda did better, sometimes without even trying. Even in death, Hermione still loathes Miranda.

"Didn't think Miranda and Jake had children" Hiram put his hands in his pockets.

"Hiram please..." Nathaniel pleaded to him. "I already lost Miranda, I can't lose Max too..."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. As long as she doesn't give me a reason too..." Hiram smirked. "All we want is a safe home for our children, you understand that. I hope we have your support for Hermione's bid for Mayor..."

 **...**

Later that afternoon, Max was at the Whyte Wyrm with Sweet Pea and Fangs. After an eventful day of school, all they needed was some time to themselves. They didn't want to think about the war they were fighting, all they wanted to spend some time together.

As Max threw a dart on the dart board bullseye, she got a text from Jughead. "Who texted?" Sweet Pea asked, shooting the cue ball.

"Jones, he needs some back up" Max sighed.

"Why should we help him?" Fangs played Street Fighter, trying to beat Max's high score.

"Because he's still one of us" Max stood up. "And what's the first law?"

"No Serpent gets left behind" Sweet Pea hit the cue ball, before standing up. "Let's go..."

"But let's make one stop first" Max smirked. "We're gonna need some stuff..."

Arriving at the Cooper Residence, the Serpents were armed. Sweet Pea had a crow bar and Fangs had a baseball bat, while the other Serpents were armed too.

"You called Jones?" Max smirked.

"I need you guy's help" Jughead asked.

"Let's do it" Sweet Pea smirked as Max kicked the door in. Barging inside, Alice looked terrified as the Serpents got ready to stir up some trouble. Max and Jughead flipped their switchblades as the rest of the Serpents stood behind them.

"You think you two can take all of us, try it" Betty challenged them.

"You brought back up. Does that mean you want me to go the Sheriff, start making a stink?"

"That's your call, but my backup and me are friends with the Sheriff's son, so whose side do you think they'll pick?" Betty challenged.

"The Coopers are one of the most respected families in Riverdale, two are just a couple of Summerville scumbags" Jughead sneered.

"Anything that was in your car at the swamp washed away or else we would've heard about it by now. So, why don't you just grab the money and run" Betty advised them before it go ugly.

Smirking, Max walked up to the tall man in front of them. "I would listen to her if I were you..." Max ran her switchblade across his cheek. "Cause, we don't play nice with others..." Max cut his cheek, making him yelp in pain. Before he could rush her, Sweet Pea stepped up and pointed his crowbar into his chest.

"I wouldn't do that I were you..." he growled. "Get the hell out..."

Refusing to fight, the two of them left, leaving Betty and her family alone. After taking care of business, Max, Sweet Pea, and Fangs were waiting for Jughead.

"I can't believe we helped her" Sweet Pea rolled his eyes.

"We can't rewrite history, Sweets. At one time she was one of us and we don't leave one of our own for dead, no matter how despicable they are" Max displayed wisdom beyond her years.

 **...**

The next morning, Max was walking into school before getting a text from Jughead, saying there was an impromptu Swords and Serpents meeting. Walking into the club room, Max was surprised to see Alice Cooper there, clad in a snakeskin blouse.

"Why is she here?" Max asked.

"Just hear her out" Jughead pleaded.

Not wanting to argue, Max sat in between Sweet Pea and Fangs, reluctant to listen to Alice Cooper.

"I asked Jughead to thank you for me but I reconsidered because I wanted to do it myself. So thank you, for what you did..." Alice thank them as the Serpents smiled at Jughead and Betty. "I also wanted you to hear it directly from me that I am done attacking and disavowing the Southside. It's where I'm from and I should be proud of that. And from now on I will be. And like my daughter, I will fight tooth and nail for it..." The bell rang, signaling it was time for the students to go to class. "Now get to class" Alice smiled at the Serpents.

As Max was about to head out, Alice stopped her. "Max..."

"Yeah?" Max turned to her.

"I'm sorry... about your father..." Alice breathed out.

"You knew my dad?"

"Jake was a good man..." Jake had saved Alice on so many occasions. "He didn't deserve any of this..."

"Thank you" Max smiled a genuine smiled. "It means a lot, it really does..."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well all's well that ends well. I feel like Riverdale hasn't had a happy ending in a while. With the ending of one chapter, begins another one.**  
 **There is a bit to unpack here...**  
 **First, Max and Toni come face to face for first time since their falling out. What do you think about their conversation? Does Max have a point? Or is it simply Toni doesn't want to pick between the people she cares about? Well whatever you think, it's clear that Max is reluctant to trust Toni, especially when they're fighting a war. Do you guys think they can work past this?**  
 **Also, it's clear the Serpents don't appreciate Betty essentially forcing her way into their world. Do you think they have a point, in that Betty is loyal to Jughead and not Serpents? Playing Devil's Advocate, I think they have a point in that if Jughead wasn't a Serpent, Betty would essentially look at the Serpents as the same criminals as everyone else does.  
Also, there is a little moment between Nathaniel and Hiram. This really sets things up for what's to come, so lookout for that ;)  
Overall, that do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	26. A Night We'll Never Forget

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope you guys had a fantastic week and an even more fantastic weekend! I was in process of getting all caught up with writing for this story and I am officially caught up. Also, thank you so much for the favs/follows, it means a lot! Please don't be afraid to review as well! I love hearing your guy's thoughts and views.  
** **Also, this past episode of Riverdale seriously has me triggered. For those who haven't seen it, I don't wanna spoil it. I will say this, watching that episode has filled me with ideas for these new few chapters. Things are about to get intense in Riverdale. What are your guys' thoughts on this recent episode of Riverdale?  
** **In this chapter, what was meant to be a happy day for Max takes a dark turn. And a familiar face makes a return to Riverdale  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _The more you want to forget, the more you'll remember_..."

 **...**

Chapter XXIV. A Night We'll Never Forget...

Max was sleeping soundly in her room. She couldn't remember the last time she had a good night's sleep. With a war looming over Riverdale, a divide between her and the Serpents, Max hasn't had a good night's sleep in a really long time. As Max slept, Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Rafe quietly made their way into her room. Today was Max's birthday, a day she both loved and loathed. While she had amazing birthdays as a child, courtesy of her parents, as Max got older, celebrating her birthday was no longer a priority anymore. It simply became another day.

"Ready?" Sweet Pea whispered.

"Yeah..." Rafe smiled. With everything happening on the Southside right now, Sweet Pea wanted to give Max a day where she didn't have worry about anything.

"1...2...3... Happy Birthday!" Sweet Pea, Rafe, and Fangs exclaimed, making Max jump up.

"What the hell" Max breathed out. "What are you guys doing?"

"Happy Birthday, Max!" Rafe jumped into his big sister's arms.

"I didn't think you guys remembered" Max chuckled bitterly, hugging her little brother back. Max had completely forgotten that today was her birthday.

"Give us a bit of credit" Sweet Pea kissed the top of her head.

"You haven't made your wish yet" Fangs smiled as he brought Max a stack of birthday pancakes with a candle on top.

"Guys..." Max gave them a humorless look.

"Humor us" Fangs winked as Max closed her eyes, before blowing out the candles.

"What you wish for?" Sweet Pea asked.

"You'll just have to wait and see" Max winked as she took a big bite out of her birthday pancakes.

"You haven't even seen the best part" Sweet Pea smiled.

"What could be better than this?" Max smiled at some of her favorite people.

"Come outside" Sweet Pea took her hand as the four of them went outside. Outside of Max's trailer, was a brand-new Harley, standing next to it was Jughead and FP.

"What is this?" Max smiled.

"Happy another year older" Jughead chuckled.

"We figured you could use a new ride" FP smiled, wrapping an arm around her. "We all chipped in for it."

"Guys..."

"I know it's not your Pop's, but it's the one he's always had his eye on" FP smiled at the new motorcycle.

Max felt stray tears spilling out of her eyes. Max always put a strong front up for the people she loves. The last thing she wants is the people around her to think of her as weak. Getting on the motorcycle, Max played with the throttle as she smiled up at her family. "Thank you... for everything."

"It's what you do for family" Jughead smiled at her.

As Max admired her new motorcycle, surrounded by the people she loved the most, off in the distance was Nathaniel. Seeing Max with a genuine smile on her face, Nathaniel was saddened he could put that smile on her face. It broke his heart that Max chose the Serpents over a privileged life he could give her on the Northside. He simply couldn't understand why this was the life Miranda and his grandchildren chose.

 **...**

After going on a ride with Sweet Pea on her new motorcycle, they walked into school to see posters for the upcoming school musical: _Carrie_. "You goin' to that?" Sweet Pea pointed to the poster as they walked to Max's locker.

"Nah, I've never been the artsy type" Max rolled her eyes.

"I heard Jones and Toni are doin it" Sweet Pea informed her.

"Good for them, they can do whatever they want" Max said indifferently.

"How long are you gonna keep this up?" Sweet Pea raised an eyebrow at her. "She's your best friend. She means a lot to you..." Sweet Pea has seen Max and Toni's friendship grow through the years. Out of a select group of people that Max would allow in her life, Toni was Max's other half, her better half. He had a hard time believing that Max would throw a life-long friendship out the window because of a Northsider.

"Apparently not as much as Cheryl" Max leaned back against her locker as her eyes met with Toni's, who was talking to Cheryl. After saying bye to head River Vixen, Toni walked up to them.

"Hey..." Toni smiled.

"Topaz..." Max took a sharp breath.

"I'll let you guys talk" Sweet Pea kissed Max on the cheek before leaving.

"I heard you're doing the musical" Max tried to make conversation with Toni, but it's clear there is tension in the air.

"Yeah" Toni smiled.

"Didn't peg you as the musical type..."

"It's something I've been wanting to try, you coming tonight?"

"Musicals aren't really my scene" Max chuckled humorlessly.

"Happy birthday by the way" Toni smiled at her.

"Didn't think you remembered" Max crossed her arms protectively.

"I could never forget" Toni reassured her. "Max, can we please end this? I miss you, I miss everyone..."

"Well you should've thought about us when you picked Cheryl over us."

"I didn't pick Cheryl..." Toni defended.

"But you didn't pick us" Max added.

"Look, you can hate me all you want but it doesn't change the fact that I am a Serpent. That through hell and high water, I will _always_ be here for you guys" Toni asserted her loyalty to the Southside Serpents.

"I'll believe it when I see it" Max rolled her eyes.

"I got you something" Toni reached into her bag and pulled out a black box.

"What is this?" Max took the box.

"Your birthday present..."

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"I know, I wanted to. I'll see you around" Toni left.

Looking down at the box, Max opened it to reveal a gold Serpent bracelet. As Max was about to put it on, she looked up to see Fangs talking to Midge Klump. As Fangs talked, Midge was smiling from ear to ear. Max knew a smile like that all too well. That was a smile that Max got when she talked to Sweet Pea. Curious, Max walked up to them. "Hey, what you guys talking about?"

"I'll see you later Fangs" Midge smiled before walking away.

"What was that?" Max crossed her arms.

"Nothing" Fangs put his hands up in defense, before walking the other way but Max was going to press the issue.

"That didn't look like nothing. Is there something going on I should know about?"

"I said, it's nothing. Can you please let this go" Fangs pleaded, getting fidgety. Max could read Fangs like an open book, he couldn't hide anything from her.

"Don't tell me..." Max grabbed Fang's forearm. "You and her?" Fang's silence was all the answer she needed. "God, Fangs are you kidding me?! You and her?!"

"Max..."

"Fangs, we are on the brink of fighting a war. If those damn Bulldogs find out about this, there will be hell to pay" Max whispered.

"They won't find out" Fangs reassured her.

"How do you know that?" Max asked.

"Cause I know you won't say anything" Fangs said, making Max roll her eyes annoyed. Fangs was right, Max wasn't going to rat out Fangs to anyone. She cared about him way too much.

"Out of all the girls in Riverdale, why Midge?" Max asked.

"I can't explain it. When you care about someone, you just do" Fangs admitted.

"Look, just be careful. If the Serpents find out about this, they're going to question your loyalty" Max advised him. "And I won't be able to protect you."

"You don't have to protect me..."

"You know we look out for each other" Max wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "I'm always going to protect you even if you don't want me to..."

Smiling, Fangs wrapped an arm around Max as they walked to class.

 **...**

After school, Max was riding her new motorcycle to the Riverdale Cemetery. This was a tradition that Max did every year on her birthday since her parents passed away. Whenever things got crazy, and they often did, Max always turned to her parents for support. Even though they weren't physically with her, Max always felt like they were watching over her.

As Max parked her bike, she approached her parents' tombstones with a bouquet in hand, she was surprised to see Nathaniel there. "Why are you here?" Max growled at him.

"I wanted to pay my respects" he smiled as Max pushed past him.

"You could've done that if you came to their funeral..." Max rolled her eyes, as she took out the dead flowers out of the vase and put in the fresh bouquet.

"I should've been there..."

"Yeah, but you weren't. So you don't get to come here and pretend they matter now. You're not kidding anyone, and you're not kidding me."

"I know you find it hard to believe, but I did love my daughter..."

"Then why did you cast her out? Why did you pretend that she didn't exist? That we didn't exist" Max glared at him.

"I was a different man back then, I wasn't proud of that. I'm different now..."

"I find that very hard to believe" Max crossed her arms. "You've done nothing to prove to me that you are no different than every other Northsider."

"Give me a chance to prove that you, to Rafe" Nathaniel walked towards her. "I want to be a part of your lives..."

"It's too late" Max backed up. "You had years to be a part of our lives, instead what do you do? You hid in the shadows like a coward. I can't respect that, you don't deserve my respect."

"Max..."

"Go away..." Max sneered at him.

Respecting his granddaughter's wishes, Nathaniel left. As he was about to leave, Nathaniel turned back to her, "Happy birthday, Max..."

Ignoring him, Max turned back to her parents. Max knelt down as she touched their headstones. "How did things get so messed up?" Max asked them. "We lost our school, we're gonna lose our home. I'm losing my family, why is this happening?" tears started to spill out of Max's eyes. This is the most raw Max has ever been. "I don't know if I can do this by myself. I can't do this without you guys. I need you. Why did you guys have to leave me?!" Max shrieked. With a war looming over Riverdale and Hiram Lodge masterminding it all, Max was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Max had been enduring so much and it was coming to a head. The emotions were pouring out of her.

"Max..." a voice spoke out. Max turned around to see FP standing there.

"FP..." Max stood up. "What are you doing here?"

Without saying a word, FP walked up to her and brought her into his arms. Breaking down, Max wrapped her arms around FP as her cries could be heard throughout the cemetery. FP didn't realize how much responsibility Max was shouldering. Watching her home being dismantled to watching their troops being depleted, this was a lot for Max to deal with. These are things she shouldn't have to be dealing with.

"I got you..." FP said into her hair as Max fell to her knees.

 **...**

Later that night, Max arrived to Riverdale High to watch _Carrie_. Maybe it was time for Max to extend the olive branch to Toni. At the end of the day, Toni was one of them and Max should make the effort to meet her halfway.

As the show was about to start, Max stood in the back just out of sight. The last thing Max wanted was any of her fellow Serpents seeing her.

"Alright, Carietta. It's time to get out of your closet" Alice faced the audience. As the curtain rose, Max gasped as she saw Midge stabbed multiple times to the wall. On the wall, there was a message written in blood: _I am back from the dead. All those who escaped me before,_ _ **will**_ _die..._ _BH_.

Without thinking twice, Max ran out of the gym as the crowd went wild. As she ran, Max bumped into someone. It was Sweet Pea.

"Hey, are you alright?'" Sweet Pea asked, concerned noticing that Max was shaken up.

Not saying a thing, Max wrapped her arms around Sweet Pea. Concerned, Sweet Pea hugged back trying to calm her down.

This was a birthday that Max was never going to forget...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well he's baaaacccckkkk! I had a feeling that the Black Hood storyline wasn't going to go away that easily. There is a bit to unpack in this episode. First, this chapter really sets off a chain reaction of events that will go off in the next few updates.  
I wanted to give Max and the Serpents one happy moment before everything essentially falls to s**t. In this chapter, you guys get an in depth look on Max's friendship with Fangs. I've touched on Max's relationships with Toni, Sweet Pea, and Jughead, now it's Fangs' turn. What do you guys think of Max's friendship with Fangs? I think Max is protective of Fangs like she's protective of Rafe, like a little brother.  
Also, what do you guys think of Max's breakdown? This is the start of Max's downward spiral. Max is very strong because of everything she's been through, but it's because of everything she's been through she's close to breaking. Max holds everything in and it's about to come to a head. We are so used to seeing her be strong, that we are going to see a very different side of her.  
Things are about to come to a head and I can't wait! What do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/All feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	27. Sinner's Remorse

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope you guys are having a great day! I really wanted to get this update up before I go into the episode of Riverdale that just aired. This episodes really sets things up for the end of Season 2. Also, I can't wait for Season 3 of Riverdale to come. Would you guys want me to do Season 3? Lemme know!  
Thank you so much for the favs/follows, it means a lot! Please don't be afraid to review as well! I love hearing your guy's thoughts and views.** **  
** **In this chapter, the town comes together for Midge's Funeral. With the Black Hood back in town, everyone is on edge. Also, after a meeting with Hiram and Hermione, Nathaniel makes a startling discovery that makes him finally take a stand against his manipulative wife.  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _It doesn't matter how much you repent, your sins will follow you to your grave_ _..._ "

Chapter XXV. Sinner's Remorse...

Max was in her trailer, getting ready for Midge Klump's funeral. After what happened during the musical, the entire town was on edge. With the idea of the Black Hood being back, the Riverdale residents were constantly looking over their shoulders. Nobody was safe anymore.

As Max adjusted her blazer, knocks were heard at her door. Sighing, Max opened the door to reveal Jughead, FP, Sweet Pea, and Fangs.

"How you doin?" Jughead asked her.

"I've been better" Max sighed. Max wanted to get that image of Midge out of her head, but she couldn't. Max has seen her fair share of dead bodies, and none of them has affected her like this. Seeing Midge all bloodied up the way she was sent chills down her back. Max couldn't figure out or understand why this was affecting her so much.

"You ready?" FP asked her.

"Yeah..." Max sighed as the four of them went to Midge's funeral. With that death, the Serpents felt they had to stick together, especially now more than ever. This somber event brought the town together. When they arrived, all of Max and Jughead's classmates were there to support Midge and her family.

After Cheryl finished singing, the River Vixens put their pom poms up in memory of their fallen teammate. "I also feel it is my duty to say that like the furies of Ancient Greece who ceaselessly pursue blood atonement when a crime is committed, the Vixens and I vow that we will not rest until those responsible for the murder of our sister is rightly punished..." Cheryl stared a hole through Sheriff Kellar. The residents of Riverdale were starting to lose faith in him. A lot of the residents feel like Sheriff Kellar couldn't protect them anymore.

Once the service was done, Max was struggling to get her head back on straight.

"Hey, you good?" Sweet Pea held her hand. Nothing really rattled Max, but this was getting to her and Sweet Pea could see that.

"Uh, yeah" Max tried to put up a strong front, but Sweet Pea wasn't buying it.

"Seriously..."

"I just wanna go home, be with Rafe" Max said quietly.

"Alright, I'll go with you..." Sweet Pea told her as they went back home to her trailer.

When they got back home to her trailer, Rafe was getting up.

"Hey, you're up" Max smiled as she took off her blazer and her hat.

"Yeah, I just woke up" Rafe rubbed his eye. "Where did you guys go?"

"There was a service for a girl that we went to school with. Wanted to go pay our respects..."

"Like a funeral?" Rafe pointed to their all-black ensembles.

"Yeah..." Max sighed.

"Who killed her?" Rafe asked.

"A really bad person..."

"Is he gonna hurt us?" Rafe asked, genuinely frightened.

"Not if I have anything to do with it" Max cupped his face. "I won't let anything happen to you. I got you..."

Nodding his head, Max wrapped her arms around Rafe. Kissing the top of his head, Max asked, "You hungry?"

"Starving..."

Chuckling, Max went to her fridge to get some eggs out. "You staying for breakfast, Sweets?"

"I could eat" Sweet Pea sat next to Rafe, ruffling his hair.

"Hope you guys like omelets" Max smiled as she got some tomatoes, cheese, and ham. As Max mixed the eggs, knocks were heard at her door. "Rafe, you mind?" Max asked her younger brother to answer the door.

"I got it" Rafe jumped up to answer the door. It was Nathaniel. "Who are you?"

"Hi..." Nathaniel smiled.

Max looked up to see her grandfather at the door. Angry, Max slammed the bowl down as she marched over to him. "Rafe, go to your room..."

"Max, who is this guy? Why does he keep coming around?"

"No one important" Max looked him dead in the eye as she said that. "Please, just go to your room..."

Not wanting to argue with his sister, Rafe went to his room.

"Why are you here? I told you to never to come back here" Max growled at him.

"I heard about what happened to your classmate, I wanted to make sure you were alright" Nathaniel said worried. News of Midge's Klump's death spread throughout the town like wildfire, and everyone was watching their backs.

"I'm fine and I don't need you worrying about me" Max sneered at him.

"Max, you can keep pushing me away but I'm going to stay" Nathaniel stood his ground.

"You're just wasting your time. Just do yourself a favor and leave because you will _never_ be my family" Max growled at him. "I don't care how much money you throw my way, you will never be a part of my life. And I will make sure you will never be a part of Rafe's life."

"Max..."

"You better go" Sweet Pea backed up Max. "Before things get ugly..."

Putting his hands up, Nathaniel left as Max slammed the door in his face. "God..." Max let out a shaky breath as Sweet Pea wrapped his arms around her.

Meanwhile, Nathaniel was walking back to his car, disheartened at his latest interactions with his granddaughter. Max had a lot of hate in her heart for him and he didn't blame her. But, he didn't want to let history repeat itself. Nathaniel let his daughter walk away from him, and she never came back. He wasn't going to let that happen with Max.

Once he was in his car, Nathaniel drove back to the Northside for his meeting with Hiram and Hermione. Hart Oil Industry was one of the main financial backers for Hermione's campaign for Mayor, as well as their plans for the SoDale Prison.

When he arrived at the office, Hiram and Hermione were already there with Olivia entertaining them. "Nathaniel, nice of you to join us" Olivia smirked at her husband.

"I had some business to attend to" Nathaniel took off his coat. "So, what did I miss?"

"We are actually talking about extending our contract" Hiram leaned back in his seat.

"And why would we even consider that?" Nathaniel has been under contract with Hiram for years now, and he no longer wanted to be indentured to him. Hiram was going to siphon Nathaniel out of all the money he had made, practically destroying the company he had built from the ground up.

"I feel it is under you best interest, especially with our connections..." Hiram smirked. Nathaniel was aware of Hiram's connection to the underworld, and making a deal with him was like making a deal with the devil.

"Is that a threat?" Nathaniel leaned forward.

"Oh no" Hiram put his hands up. "I hear you recently have been trying to reconnect with your grandchildren. It would be a shame if anything would happen to them."

"Leave them out of this..." Nathaniel growled.

"Or they somehow find out the really happened that night..." Hiram referred to the night Miranda and Jake were killed. He had all the leverage.

"You're not innocent in all of this. If I'm going down, I'm taking you both down with me I've been in this business longer than you both have been alive. I know every play in your book, Hiram. Hell, _I_ wrote the book. You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. You need me more than I need you" Nathaniel growled. "So, don't push me..."

"There's no need to get testy" Hermione got in between them. "At the end of the day, we're all on the same team."

"I'm really starting to question that..."

"We are" Olivia stepped in. "In terms of our agreement, we will comply. You watch out for us, we'll watch out for you..."

"That's all I ask" Hiram stuck his hand out. Done with the conversation, Nathaniel left the office.

"We look forward to working with you" Olivia shook hands with Hiram and Hermione.

Outside his office, Nathaniel was trying to regain his composure. Looking at Hiram, for Nathaniel it was like looking in a mirror. How Hiram is now was how Nathaniel was, and he isn't proud of it. Hiram's crooked business acumen were the tactics Nathaniel has used to succeed in the business world. He was starting to see what Max has always known about the Northside. If Nathaniel even wanted any kind of relationship with his grandchildren, he had to rectify his sins. If he didn't, he would lose his only connection to Miranda.

As he stood there, his secretary: Marion came up to him. "Mr. Hart, did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, Marion. Can I help you?"

"I have the paperwork you requested..." Marion handed a file to Nathaniel.

"Paperwork?"

"Yes..." Nathaniel opened the file to reveal a codicil: a form to change a will. Looking through the paperwork, Nathaniel was surprised to see Miranda had written a will.

"I did not request this, who asked for these papers?" Nathaniel asked.

"Ms. Olivia."

Nathaniel was seething that his wife would do this behind his back. As Hiram and Hermione left, Nathaniel stormed into the office. "What is this?" Nathaniel held up the file in his hand.

"Where did you get that?" Olivia asked.

"Marion gave it to me. Did you know that Miranda had written a will?" Nathaniel glared at his wife. While Nathaniel had an icy relationship with Miranda, her relationship with Olivia was significantly worse. He had lost count of all the time his wife and his daughter fought. Given they were both so headstrong, neither one of them would back down from a fight. So, Nathaniel wasn't surprised that Miranda had written and hid a will to protect her assets.A

"I..."

" _As in accordance to my written will_ , _I leave all my possessions and money that I had acquired through my stocks and business deals to be bequeathed to my two children_ : _Mackenzie Clara Logan_ _and Rafael Avery Logan_. _My estate will be evenly divided between the two of them..._ " Nathaniel read Miranda's will. "Where did you find this?" Miranda was quite business savvy. If there was one thing Nathaniel had taught her, it would be to look out for herself so it would allow her to look after the people she cares about.

"I was going through Miranda's things after she passed. I was going to tell you..."

"When were you planning on telling me you were going to change her will?" Nathaniel held up the codicil. "Are you kidding me? You don't have the right to do that!"

"They don't deserve anything!" Olivia stood up. "They don't deserve the right to our name and they sure as hell don't deserve the right to any of our money!"

"That's not your call to make!" Nathaniel shouted back. "It's not our money, it's Miranda's!"

"Miranda lost any kind of right to that money when she chose that criminal over her own family" Olivia argued back.

"It doesn't matter! That's her money and in death, we don't have a right to touch it" Nathaniel did not appreciate what his wife was doing. He was done letting his wife manipulate him. "I've done everything you wanted me to do! Our sins have been eating away at me and I won't allow you to use it against me anymore! I will not allow you to desecrate our daughter's memory because of a petty grudge!"

"They don't deserve a single penny..." Olivia faced off with her husband.

"Not if I have anything to do with it" Nathaniel ripped up the codicil. "I'm not going to turn them away. I'm done turning them away."

"You really want to fight this battle?" Olivia challenged Nathaniel.

"I'm done backing down..."

 **...**

Later that night, Max was in her trailer watching some TV as Rafe slept in her lap. After the day she had, all Max wanted was to spend some time with her little brother. As she relaxed, there was knocks at her door. Setting Rafe on the on couch, Max went to check who it was. Opening the door, she saw a manila envelope on her porch. Confused, Max picked up the envelope off the porch and opened it. Max took out a stack of papers, which seemed to be bank statements.

"What the hell is this?" Max muttered quietly.

Sitting down at her table, Max took out the papers. The papers were bank statements that shows transactions between Hart Oil Company and Lodge Industries. Max noticed that at the same two days every month for the past several years, up to thousands of dollars.

 **...**

Meanwhile in his office, Nathaniel was sitting down with his attorney: Sierra McCoy. "I was surprised to hear from you, Nathaniel" Sierra smiled at her long-time associate.

"Yes, but I wouldn't trust anyone else to handle my business" Nathaniel smiled. "I need to make some changes to my will..."

"I have a copy of your will right here" Sierra pulled out a copy of Nathaniel's will. In an effort to protect his assets and estate from the company he had built, Nathaniel had written a separate will that he had hidden from his wife.

"I want to give my shares of the company and my estate to my grandchildren" Nathaniel asked Sierra. Since Nathaniel had built Hart Oil Company, he had majority shares and powers.

"I didn't know Miranda had children..."

"She does and I want to know that no matter what happens to me, they are taken care of..."

"Does Olivia know about this?"

"No, she doesn't and I would prefer it if this stays between us..." Nathaniel asked Sierra. "If I were to pass, my grandchildren will be in control of my company and run it as they see fit."

"That is a lot of responsibility, especially for children..."

"At this point, I've crossed a line I can't uncross" Nathaniel sighed. "I've done some terrible things and it's time I make things right. I trust that they will do what's right for themselves."

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure Sierra" Nathaniel reiterated. "I want to give my shares of the company and my estate to my grandchildren."

"We can make it work..." Sierra smiled.

"And Olivia can't override my will?"

"As long as you sign on this dotted line, your estate will be distributed as stated in your will. Olivia can't do anything about it" Sierra showed Nathaniel the necessary paperwork. Nodding his head, Nathaniel signed the dotted line...

* * *

 **Author's** **Note:** **Well it seems like Max and Rafe are gonna come into some major moolah hahaha.  
But this episodes really sets things up for the last new episodes of the second season going into season three. 2x19 was mainly about Betty, Jughead, FP, Alice, and Chic and Max wasn't really invested in it. I had a lot of trouble incorporating Max with the Chic storyline because she didn't have much stake in it. I wanted to give her an independent storyline.  
So there is a bit to unpack...  
It seems Nathaniel and Hiram are starting to butt heads. What do you guys think Hiram is holding over Nathaniel? It seems the student is coming after the teacher...  
Also, what do you guys think about Nathaniel and Olivia's confrontation? Whose side are you guy's on? It seems like Olivia is determined to keep Max and Rafe away from the money that they are entitled to. Do you think it's messed up that Olivia is controlling Miranda's money even in death?  
And, Nathaniel is taking a stand as well. He's done letting his wife use his guilt to manipulate him. Do you think it's smart for him to essentially give his company and the Hart fortune to Max and Rafe? Do you think that's enough to rectify his sins?  
Also, who do you guys think gave those papers to Max? I haven't gone too much in depth on her parents' death but I will soon!  
Finally what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome! The next chapter, s**t will hit the fan and Max will be in one of the biggest fights of her life! Be ready because it will be epic ;)  
Please Read&Review!**


	28. Fight for Your Family

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope you guys had a great weekend and have a great week! I'm going to be busy these next few weeks, with projects and work but I have the next few chapters prewritten so I'll be able to update when I need to. I don't have much to update you guys on, other than thank you for favs/follows! Please don't be afraid to review because I love talking to you guys.  
** **I'm just counting down the days to the newest episodes of Riverdale because it's going to be epic! I have some things planned for these next few chapters. Some great moments, some heartbreaking, so be ready ;) This next update will be broken down into two parts because a lot of things are going on that can't be put into one chapter.  
In this episode, as she continues to break down, ****Max does everything she can to protect Fangs and Rafe from Riverdale's impending breakdown.** **  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _Losing your family is like losing a limb..._ "

 **...**

Chapter XXVI. Fight for Your Family

Max had another sleepless night. With the aftermath of Midge Klump's death still looming over Riverdale and the mysterious paperwork that arrived at her doorstep, Max was walking on pins and needles. A war was going to break out in her small town. It's not a matter of if, but _when_.

As Max walked Rafe to school, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder. Max wasn't sure who she should trust anymore. Everyone has an agenda and everyone has something to lose.

"Are you okay?" Rafe asked her. He noticed the change in his big sister's demeanor and he couldn't help but worry about her.

"Yeah, I'm alright" Max reassured him. At this point, Max had to be strong for Rafe. She wouldn't allow him to see her broken down the way she's feeling on the inside. "I'm gonna pick you up after school."

"I can walk home by myself."

"With everything going on I just want to make sure you're okay" Max expressed her concern. With a potential killer on the loose in Riverdale, Max needed to know that Rafe is protected. If Max doesn't know what she would do if she lost her younger brother. "So, please humor me?"

"Okay" Rafe nodded his head.

"Good, have a great day" Max kissed the top off his head as Rafe walked into Southside Elementary.

After seeing him off, as Max headed to school, her phone went off. It was a text from FP. The Ghoulies are being released from jail and they have their sights on the Serpents, especially Max and Jughead. The Ghoulies had a bone to pick with the Serpents. This was another problem on the long list of things she has to worry about. Max was coming to the end of her rope.

"Oh god..." Max sighed as she approached Riverdale High. In front, Jughead was waiting for her. "Hey, Jones..."

"How you holding up?"

"I don't even know anymore" Max breathed out as they walked into school. "Did FP tell you?"

"Yeah, War Baby called us last night. I can't believe they're getting out so soon" Jughead kicked his foot.

"Yeah, and they're coming after us. Does everyone else know?"

"They're in the club room right now, come on" Jughead said as they headed to the Serpent's meeting room. The minute Max walked in, her eyes locked with Toni.

"Why is she here?!" Max pointed Toni.

"Max..." Toni tried to talk before Jughead got in between them. "Look, whatever issues you guys have with each other you need to put it on ice. Right now we're fighting a war and we need to stick together if we even have a shot at winning."

Nodding their heads, Jughead and Max went to the front of the classroom to run the meeting. "War Baby called my father and I from Shanksaw. Our old adversaries the Ghoulies have been released..." Jughead revealed.

"Word on the street is they want Serpent Blood. They're gunning for a rematch..." Max sighed. "They're gunning for me..."

"We're not gonna let that happen" Sweet Pea reassured her.

"They want war, we're gonna be in for the fight of our lives" Jughead stood up.

Suddenly, the classroom door burst open as Archie, Reggie Mantle, and a bunch of Bulldogs marched into the classroom. "Which one of you reptiles was screwing Midge Klump?" Reggie demanded.

Max's eyes widened as her gaze met with Fangs. Shaking her head, Max glared at Fangs, wordlessly saying to stay quiet. The last thing she wanted is one of her best friends implicating himself.

"What the hell is going on? This is a private meeting" Jughead addressed the Bulldogs.

"I'm guessing it was you Sweet Pea..." Reggie pointed the finger at him. "What you can't control your girl anymore? You need someone that'll just roll over for you, huh?"

"You wanna say that again?" Max got in Reggie's face. She was already with ten million other problems that were more important. Max didn't have the time or the patience to deal with Reggie's accusations. She did not appreciate Reggie implicating Sweet Pea in all of this.

"You heard me..." Reggie bit back. As Max was about to rush Reggie, Jughead held her back, "Easy..." Jughead whispered in her ear, calming her down. Sweet Pea slowly walked up to Reggie. He didn't appreciate Reggie accusing him of being a cheater and a murderer.

"Reggie, that's enough" Archie tried to deescalate the situation.

"You ass, I didn't even know Midge. Max's my girl" Sweet Pea defended himself and his relationship. "But I don't blame Midge though, she wouldn't want fleas from you mangy bulldogs."

Hearing enough, Reggie pushed Sweet Pea. Lunging forward, Jughead and Max held Sweet Pea back as Archie held back Reggie. Both sides erupted into a fight as Archie, Jughead, and Max tried to keep both sides from tearing the classroom apart. Once both sides were separated, the three of them stood in the middle to make sure no cheap shots were thrown.

With the atmosphere getting more tense, Fangs had to get out. Not wanting to leave him alone, Max ran after him.

"Fangs, wait up!" Max called out to him.

"Max, they're going to find out!" Fangs whispered before pounding his fist against his locker.

"Fangs calm down" Max put her hands on either side of his face as they breathed together. "What you did was pretty stupid and now every Bulldog wants your head on a pike..."

"I know, Max. I know..."

"But I won't let that happen" Max cut him off. "I think we should tell Jughead..."

"We can't!"

"What other option is there? He'll know what to do. He and I and all of us, we won't let anything happen to you. I swear" Max reassured Fangs, bringing him into her arms.

 **...**

After picking up Rafe and dropping him off at home, Max headed to Jughead's trailer with Fangs. At this point, Fangs was running out of options and he needs more help than just Max. "What are you guys doing here?" Jughead asked.

"We need your help..." Max breathed out.

" _I_ need your help" Fangs sat down at the table. "It's bad Jones, it's really bad..."

"So, talk to me Fangs" Jughead sat down with him.

Fangs glanced at Max, who nodded her head. "On the opening night of _Carrie_ when you were backstage filming you're documentary, and you found me in Midge's dressing room..." Fangs started. "I wasn't just giving her notes."

"You were hooking up..." a look of realization appeared over Jughead's face before turning to Max. "And you _knew_?"

"I saw them talking before class the day of the musical" Max confessed.

"Aside for all of that, you didn't tell Sheriff Kellar? Geez Fangs, do you know how guilty his makes you look?"

"I know! I know..." Fangs broke down.

"Did you do it?" Jughead asked the million dollar question.

"Are you seriously asking that?" Max stood up, glaring at Jughead. Max had known Fangs for years and while he could land a punch when had to, he was not the type to fly off the handle. Especially at someone he cares about.

"Max, it's alright" Fangs settled her down. "I didn't do it, you guys gotta believe me..."

"I do" Jughead breathed out.

"We both do..." Max sat down next to him.

"Can you delete the footage off your camera?" Fangs pleaded.

"I already gave the footage over to Sheriff Kellar as evidence" Jughead massaged in between his eyebrows.

"Great, just great" Max pounded her fist on the table.

"What do I do?" Fangs turned to them.

"Nothing, lay low..." Jughead advised him.

"We got you, we won't let anything happen to you" Max laid her head on Fang's shoulder.

 **...**

The next morning, Max and Jughead were walking the halls as noticed fliers for the Dark Circle plastered all over the hall. "Are you kidding me?" Max growled as she ripped the flier off her locker. "You know about this?"

"No, I have a feeling I know someone that does" Jughead sighed as they went to go talk to Archie. "This is some pretty forceful branding, Archie..." Jughead slammed the flier on the table.

"Reggie made those, not me..."

"I need your Dark Circle to lay off our Serpents, even though they were technically right about something..." Jughead revealed.

"What do you mean?" Archie asked.

"One of our Serpents was canoodling with Midge, but he didn't kill her and I'm not going to give you his name so please don't ask" Jughead pleaded. "But rest assured, none of our crew is a middle aged white guy with green eyes. And that's who you're still looking for right?"

"Yeah... I'll tell Reggie to lay off" Archie told them.

"Thanks" Max expressed her gratitude to Archie. "We don't want to fight you guys, so don't give us a reason to come after you..." Nodding his head, Archie understood where Max was coming from. Max didn't want to fight an unnecessary battle because the Serpents had a bigger war to fight.

"In the meantime I need to get back some possibly incriminating footage from this new sheriff. Have you met him yet?" Jughead asked Archie.

"No, but you mind if you tag along?"

"I don't mind, you coming?" Jughead turned to Max.

"Nah, I'm gonna hang back. We need eyes here, don't need any Bulldogs messing with our Serpents" Nodding their heads, Jughead and Archie left to go to the police station, while Max stayed back. As Max headed to her locker, she glanced over to see Reggie glaring at her. Reggie was a man on a mission. Annoyed, Max gave him the middle finger, before slamming her locker shut.

With the tension between the Bulldogs and Serpents at an all time high, Max wasn't going to let a fight break out on her watch. Also, Max knew Fangs and if the Bulldogs had him cornered, he would sing like a canary and she wasn't going to let that happen.

 **...**

After school, Max walked into Pop's, needing some time to regroup. Sitting at the counter by herself, Max was trying to get her head on straight. As she leaned her head against her hand, it took everything in Max not scream. Max thrived on chaos, but the recent events were on a whole other level. The Serpents weren't just dealing with lowly street gangs, but calculated manipulators in high places.

As Max lost herself in her thoughts, a root beer float appeared in front of her. "On the house..." FP smiled. "How you holding up?"

"How did everything get so messed up" Max tried to make sense of this entire situation.

"If I knew I'd tell you" FP sighed as Max slammed her fist on the counter. "Out of all the people he could screw at Riverdale High, why the hell did it have to Midge? Why her?"

FP let out a sigh, immediately knowing who Max was walking about. "Love's a wild thing, Max. You can't help who you fall for..." This situation reminded FP of Jake and Miranda. There were unwritten rules in Riverdale that simply couldn't be violated, and one of them was that a Northsider and a Southsider couldn't be together without consequences.

"This is Fangs we're talking about here, FP. He couldn't have done this.." Max defended him.

"I know, but that's not what everyone else will feel" FP said sad truth. "They don't know him like we do."

"I've been doing some thinking..." Max sighed. "With what happened to Midge, the Ghoulies getting out, hell the Bulldogs wanting our heads on a stake, I need to get Rafe out of Riverdale. I don't even want to think about what could happen him, or what I do if something does..."

"Max, we can look out for him. You don't have to go there..." FP couldn't fathom the idea of Max and Rafe being apart. Rafe was Max's world, what kept her going everyday. Rafe was her anchor, what kept her from crossing the point of no return. FP promised Jake he would protect _both_ of his kids.

"He's not safe here, FP. We're losing men by the second, we don't have enough bodies to fight a war and to protect him. It might be the only way..." Max breathed out. "He needs to stay away until the heat dies down."

"So, where's he gonna go?"

"My Uncle Cole lives up North, maybe he can take Rafe in for a little while..."

"Max, you don't have to do this..."

"What other choice do I have?" Max asked FP as Jughead walked into Pops. "Well, did you get the footage back?"

"Nope, Sheriff Minetta wouldn't give it back. He says he wants to go through it frame by frame..." Jughead revealed.

"It's only a matter of time before he puts two and two together and brings Fangs in, damn it" FP gritted, punching the counter.

"What do we do?" Max asked him.

"If Fangs runs, he looks guilty. If he gets caught withholding the truth, he'll look like a killer..."

"So he can't win" Max sighed.

"It's a perfect storm..." Jughead added. "The Lodges endorse this new Sheriff, they want Midge's killer caught and if it's a Southsider, it's that much better."

"We're playing into their hand, this is what they want..." Max laid her head against her hand.

"Then we need to hunker down. You two better be ready to fight" FP advised them before getting back to work.

Heading home, Max entered her trailer to see Rafe asleep on the couch waiting up for her. Sitting next to her little brother, Max gently ran her fingers through his hair.

After her parents died, Rafe was all that Max had left. Max did everything in her power to protect him, but her world was starting to get more out of control. With Ghoulies gunning for her and a killer on the loose, Rafe was going to be in danger. While the idea of Max and Rafe being apart tore her up, if it mean keeping him safe, Max will do it. Riverdale was a powder keg waiting to blow and Max didn't want Rafe to be caught in the middle of it.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Armageddon is coming and Riverdale isn't ready. Things are going bad to worse for the Serpents. There is a bit to unpack...**  
 **First thing, the Ghoulies. I had a feeling that they Ghoulies weren't going to just go away, even if they are behind bars. How do you guys see Ghoulies vs. Serpents playing out? I will say this, the Serpents are running on fumes and losing men by the second. Max and Jughead are going to fighting the battle of their lives.**  
 **Also, Fangs is clearly in a no-win situation. He runs, he looks guilty, He tells the truth, he looks like a killer. Max has doesn't handle losing people very well, I can't imagine what she's capable of doing if she loses Fangs.**  
 **Also, what do you think of Max considering getting Rafe out of Riverdale? Is that really her only option? I get where she's coming from. With the Blackhood, the Ghoulies, the Bulldogs, Hiram, Rafe could potentially be a casualty in an all-out war. No one is safe anymore. While Max has done some pretty gruesome things, it's Rafe that has kept her from going too far and you've seen that a few times throughout the story. Playing devil's advocate, Riverdale is about to get engulfed in flames and Rafe could be safer anywhere else...  
Finally, what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
This chapter really sets things up for what's about to happen next. For anyone that's seen the episode, you know ;) Be ready...  
Please Read&Review**


	29. In Unity, There's Strength

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope you guys are having a great day! I am so excited for tonight's episode of Riverdale! Tonight all hell breaks loose and Riverdale breaks out in an all out war. I don't have too much to update you guys on, other than please keep reviewing! I love being able to engage you guys, and I want to be able to engage you guys especially with Season 2 coming to an end.  
In the previous chapter, the Serpents need to pick their poison. They have the Bulldogs, the Ghoulies, Hiram, the Black Hood, it's coming at them from all angles. This all out war, pitting friends against each other and tearing families apart. It's clear that the Serpents need each other now more than ever. **  
**In this chapter, the Bulldogs and a brand-new Sheriff turns the heat up in Riverdale and has their sights on Fangs. While Max and Jughead do everything in their power to protect their fellow Serpent, a familiar face returns to help and an event triggers an all out war...** **  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _I might be broken and beaten, but you guys have kept me from falling apart..._ "

 **...**

Chapter XXVII. In Unity, There's Strength

The next morning, Max was walking to her locker and saw Sweet Pea waiting for her. His arms were crossed and he had a serious look on his face. A look she didn't see very often. Sighing, Max walked over to him.

"Hey, what's up?" Max asked, concerned.

Sweet Pea stayed quiet as he watched Max open her locker. As she got her stuff for her first class, Sweet Pea spoke out, "You know, don't you?"

"Know what?" Max asked him confused.

"You know which Serpent was screwing Midge" Sweet Pea said alarmingly calm. Max felt like ice was thrown down her back. Max was always honest with Sweet Pea and never kept secrets from him. But it didn't feel right to violate Fangs' trust in her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Don't bullshit me, Max!" Sweet Pea roared, punching the locker next to her's, denting it. "Whoever that Serpent was that screwed Midge, they wouldn't go to Jones, they'd go to _you_. Jughead is FP's kid but you're our leader. So, you better tell me who it is. I've never lied to you, so don't even think about lying to me..."

"I..."

"Guys! Guys! Did you see it?!" Toni exclaimed, running up to them.

"See what?" Sweet Pea asked, confused.

"Fangs was dating Midge and didn't tell Sheriff Kellar" Toni said, showing them a video on her phone. It was Midge and Fangs backstage before the musical.

"Where did you get this?" Max asked her.

"It was uploaded to the Register's website, somebody leaked it. It makes Fangs look as guilty as a sin..."

"It was Fangs, you knew it was Fangs?!" Sweet Pea roared at his girlfriend. "God, why didn't you say anything?"

"Would you have said anything to me if you knew, huh?!" Max challenged Sweet Pea. "You would've done everything you could to protect him, that's what I was trying to do! Protect him! So don't you dare try to make this my fault!"

"Guys, we don't have time for this!" Toni got in between them as Principal Weatherbee spoke out over the intercom, " _Attention students_ , _this is Principal Weatherbee. I need Fangs Fogarty to come to my office immediately_..."

"Crap, we need to find him" Sweet Pea growled.

"Have you talked to him?" Max asked Toni.

"Not since last night" Toni said as the three of them scoured the halls for their friend. As they turned a corner they saw Jughead racing down the hall.

"Have you seen it?" Jughead asked them.

"Yeah, we just did..." Max revealed.

"We have to find Fangs before the Dark Circle does" Jughead lead them. As they turned another corner, they immediately bumped into Fangs, who was scared out of his mind.

"What the hell?! That video is everywhere, how did it get out?!" Fangs exclaimed.

"We have to get you out of here, alright" Jughead attempted to calm him.

"You're dead Vixen Killer!" Reggie exclaimed as he lead the Bulldog charge at Fangs.

"This way!" Max shouted as the four of them ran the other. Right now, their main prerogative was to get Fangs to safety. Fangs was officially a wanted man. As they ran the other way, the Serpents were met by the cops led by Sheriff Minetta. "Mr. Fogarty, I need you to come with us..."

"He didn't do anything!" Max bit back.

As they turned around, the Serpents were met by Reggie and Bulldogs. Fangs was cornered and the Bulldogs weren't going to let him get away. Reggie was about to rush Fangs, but was cut of by Sweet Pea. "Get out of my way..." Reggie growled.

"Not a chance in hell" Sweet Pea refused to back down. "You want him, you have to go through me..."

Desperate to get away, Fangs tried to rush pass the cops, only for them to forcefully push him against the wall. "You have the right to remain silent!" Minetta read Fangs his rights as the cops pinned his hands against the wall.

"Leave him alone!" Max shouted as Fangs' switchblade fell out of his pocket. This was all the proof he needed. Tackling Fangs down to the ground, Minetta cuffed him and hauled him out of school.

"What do we do now, huh?!" Sweet Pea growled at Jughead.

An idea popped into Max's head. "You guys, go to the Sheriff's station and make sure Fangs is okay!" Max instructed as she ran.

"Where are you going?" Toni asked her.

"To go get help!" Max shouted as she stormed out of school. Once Max got on her motorcycle, she made a beeline to her trailer. Running inside, Max threw over her mattress and grabbed a stack of money hidden between the bedposts. It was her emergency groundhog fund, that she kept for life and death situations. Pocketing the money, Max ran outside and made a beeline to the Northside. Max drove as fast as she possibly could and probably broke several traffic laws in the process.

Arriving at Hart Oil Company, Max stormed into the building. "Ma'am you can't just barge in here!" the secretary shouted but Max didn't want any of it. Once she arrived to Nathaniel's office, Max barged in.

"Max..." Nathaniel breathed out.

"You say you wanna be there for me? Well, I need you now..." Max asked, steadying her breath.

"What's wrong?" Nathaniel asked, concerned.

"One of my best friend's just got arrested, and we need a pretty damn good lawyer. This is all the money I have" Max put her groundhog fun on Nathaniel's desk. "Do you know anyone?" Right now, Max was desperate to save Fangs, desperate enough to turn to her Northside grandfather.

"Where did you get all this money?"

"Does it really matter? Money is money, the only language that matters to you Northsiders." Max sneered. "Are you gonna help me or not?"

Looking at the money, Nathaniel pushed the money back towards her. "Keep your money Max, I know someone that'll help you and your friend, no charge."

"What's the hitch?" Max had a hard time believing that her grandfather would be doing this out of the goodness of her heart.

"No hitch..." Nathaniel put his hands up. "I'll take care of all the expenses, you won't have to pay a dime."

"You better not be playing me right now. Cause if you even think about double crossing me..." Max growled.

"No games, I promise" Nathaniel reassured her.

 **...**

Later that night, Max and Sweet Pea were at the Wyrm. After Fangs' arrest, the Serpents had to stick together. They were losing men by the second and right now they were the most vulnerable.

"I get what you were trying to do..." Sweet Pea took a swing of his beer, as he and Max stood outside. "If Fangs had told me about him and Midge, we would've all been at risk. You were looking out for him, I would've done the same thing..."

"You should've seen how terrified he was. I didn't know what do. I just know I couldn't lose anyone else..." Max took another swing at her whiskey. "I went to my grandfather today..."

"What? Why?"

"Because Fangs needs a pretty good lawyer. Good lawyers cost money, more than what we scrap together."

"You really wanna trust that damn Northsider? You were the one telling him to get the hell out" Sweet Pea pointed out.

"What other choice do we have? Northside lawyers are slicker than snake oil, and right now that's what Fangs needs" Max rationalized. "God, what the hell is happening?" Max growled frustrated, kicking a dumpster.

Not knowing what to say, Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around her. This is probably the most vulnerable Sweet Pea has ever seen Max. The stress was hitting her from all angles and it was breaking her down. He has seen her be so strong for everyone, that he rarely ever see her crack under the pressure. Max held everything in, it was only a matter of time before she exploded.

From the corner of the her eye, Max saw Byrdie coming out to take a smoke. "Byrdie, you mind bumming me a smoke?"

Nodding her head, Byrdie handed Max a cigarette. Putting it between her lips, Sweet Pea lit her up.

"I thought you stopped smoking" Sweet Pea looked at her as Max passed her cigarette off to him. Smoking was a habit that Max had picked up in order to steady her nerves. But she slowly started to kick the habit when Rafe got older. She didn't want Rafe picking up the habit from her. But with the tensions in Riverdale getting to an all time high, Max found herself picking up the habit again.

"It helps me calm down" Max breathed out as Sweet Pea took a swing of her cigarette before passing it back.

"It's just..." Before Sweet Pea could say anything, they heard a loud crash. "What the hell..." The two of them looked up to see several Bulldogs slashing their tires.

"Hey!" Max shouted at them.

"You Serpents are going down!" Reggie exclaimed as he threw a match into a dumpster and lit it on fire, before running away.

"He's dead..." Sweet Pea clenched his fist.

"Not if I beat you to it..." Max growled as a bunch of Serpents came out.

"What happened?!" Hogeye exclaimed.

"Mangy Bulldogs that's what happened" Max pulled out her cellphone. "Jones, what the hell?!"

" _Max_ , _calm down_..." Jughead tried to simmer down Max's temper.

"Your Northsider said he would tell the Dark Circle to lay off!"

" _He did_..."

"Well, they came to our turf! Lit a dumpster on fire and slashed all our tires! They're begging for an ass kicking!"

" _Damn it, Archie_ " Jughead sighed. " _I'll talk to him_ , _Max_. _Don't do anything stupid_..."

"No promises Jones..." Max hung up her phone as she helped the Serpents put out the fire. This was a declaration of war from the Bulldogs.

 **...**

The next morning, Jughead was outside the Police Station waiting for Max. Before he had to deal with Fangs, Jughead had a bone to pick with Archie. The Serpents had a lot on their plates already, they didn't need to be worrying about the Bulldogs right now.

" _Jug_ , _what's up_?"

"You and you're Dark Circle went wilding on the Southside last night, that's what's up!" Jughead growled at him.

" _Wait_ , _hold on that's impossible..._ "

"Unless it was some other vigilante group in letterman jackets who set a dumpster on fire and slashed our tires! Archie, Max and Sweet Pea saw you guys!"

" _Jug I swear I don't know anything about this_..."

Before Jughead could say anything, Max came running up to him. Deciding to deal with his friend later, Jughead hung up the phone. "Where's the lawyer your grandfather hired?" Jughead asked her.

"He said they were coming..." Max said as an expensive Rolls Royce pulled up. Coming out was Nathaniel and former Mayor McCoy.

"Attorney McCoy is your lawyer?" Max looked at her grandfather.

"The only one I can trust" Nathaniel looked at Sierra. "The best in Riverdale..."

"We have to hurry, they're probably questioning him right now" Sierra suggested.

Nodding their heads, the three of the made a beeline into the Sheriff's office. Storming in, Sheriff Minetta was in the process of interrogating Fangs. "Don't say another word" Sierra said to Fangs. "I'll be representing Mr. Fogarty from here on out and I'd appreciate it if you stop harassing my client." Fangs looked at Max as she gave him a reassuring smile as Sheriff Minetta escorted him back to his cell.

"You're being held because you were in possession of a weapon on school property" Sierra explained to Fangs.

"My switchblade is for protection" Fangs explained.

"Yes, well they have twenty four hours to make something stick. In the meantime, you exercise your right to stay the hell silent" Sierra explained to Fangs.

"We have to be at school soon" Jughead stood up.

"You guys go, I'm gonna stay" Max turned to them.

"You sure?" Jughead asked.

"I'm sure..." Nodding their heads, Sierra and Jughead left. Turning back to Fangs, Max chuckled, "It's usually the other way around. I'm the one usually in a cell and you guys are the ones trying to get me out..." Max tried to lighten the dreary situation. Max had a cell at the Sheriff's station with her name on it, and usually it was the Serpents that were visiting her.

"Max, I'm freaking out..." Fangs trembled.

"Hey" Max held Fangs' hands. "We're not gonna let anything happen. _I_ won't let anything happen to you. You heard Attorney McCoy, there's no way they're gonna make anything stick. And if anyone thinks about coming after you, they have to deal with me. That's a battle those damn Bulldogs aren't going to win..." Max gave Fangs a reassuring smile.

"Hey, at least I've gotten the honor of making Max Logan smile" Fangs remarked.

Max couldn't help but laugh. There were only a few people that had the power to make Max smile so effortlessly and Fangs was one of them. Leaning their foreheads against each other's, Max was praying for a miracle. Max was tired of watching the people she loves slip away. She wasn't going to give up Fangs without putting up a fight.

 **...**

Later that night, Max was still at the Sheriff's station with Fangs. She was counting down the time until her fellow Serpent could be released. Checking her phone again, there was one more hour until Fangs had to be let go. As Max sat with him, Jughead and Attorney McCoy came in. "Did you hear?" Jughead asked her.

"Hear what?" Max stood up.

"I just got off the phone with Betty, the Black Hood made an appearance at City Hall. He turned the Mayoral Debate into his own shooting gallery" Jughead told them.

"I know this sounds messed up, but that's good thing right? Fangs was here with me all day, he couldn't have done this" Max added. At this point, she didn't care about everyone else at the town hall, she cared more about her best friend.

"Yeah, why are they still holding him?" Jughead asked Sierra.

"What happened tonight and what happened to Midge are being treated as separate incidents. But if the Sheriff doesn't press charges in the next hour, he has to let you go..." Sierra explained as Fangs let out a sigh of relief. "There are a lot of protestors outside, you two and his release are going to make a lot of people very angry..."

Before they could say anything, Max and Jughead got a text from FP.

"My dad text you too?"

"Yeah..." Before Max and Jughead could leave, Fangs pleaded, "Max, don't go!" During all of this, Max was that steady pillar of support for the young Serpent.

"We'll be back, okay? I'll text Toni and Sweet Pea, have them meet you down here. Don't worry, we'll come back" Max reassured him as she and Jughead left. As the two of them left the Sheriff's station, the mob of protesters was getting bigger by the second.

Once they got to Jughead's trailer, FP was packing a go-bag for Fangs. At this point, the only option there was is to take him out Riverdale.

"We just got back from the Sheriff's station, Fangs is getting out tonight" Jughead informed him. Noticing a figure in the shadows, it was Joaquin DeSantos.

"Joaquin..." Max breathed out in relief as she ran into his arms. The last time she had seen Joaquin was on a bus to San Junipero.

"Long time no see Queenie..." Joaquin joked, hugging her back. "How you holding up?" FP had recapped the entire situation and the toll that it had taken on Max. Joaquin knows Max is strong, but she's not invincible.

"I've been better..."

"What are you doing here?" Jughead asked

"I called him, he's gonna help Fangs disappear" FP zipped up the go bag, handing it to Joaquin.

"Is there really no other way?"

"He's not safe here, Max" FP put a hand on her shoulder. "Better he disappear than him ending up in a body bag..."

"I can sneak him up to San Junipero, I got a place up there..." Joaquin told them.

"Maybe, but first we need to get him out of that Sheriff's station in one piece. There's an angry mob outside with pitchforks, yelling for his head" Jughead informed them. Joaquin was about to go with them but FP put his hand on his chest, making him stay back. With his involvement in Jason Blossom's murder, it wasn't smart for Joaquin to go the Sheriff's station with everyone out for blood.

When they got to the Sheriff's station, the angry mob had quadrupled in size in the small amount of time they had been gone. The charge was lead by none other than the Dark Circle. "Where did all these people come from?" Max shouted.

"This has be the Dark Circle" Jughead deduced.

"How do we get Fangs out of here?" Max yelled over the angry mod.

"Okay!" FP put his hands on either one of their shoulders. "Max you go inside and make sure Fangs is okay! Jug, you call Red and get him to call this off! I'll stay out here and make sure no one gets inside! We can do this!" FP instructed the young Serpents. Understanding the plan, Max and Jughead nodded their heads. FP wrapped his arms around Jughead and Max "No Serpent stands alone! In unity, there's strength!" FP shouted.

"In unity, there's strength!" Jughead and Max replied as they all split up.

Max pushed through the crowd and made her way into the Sheriff's station. Inside, Sweet Pea and Toni were already there. "God Fangs" Max ran up to him, giving him a comforting hug as he hid his face in her shoulder.

"It's getting wild out there The mob is getting bigger by the second!" Toni looked out the window.

"Me and Jug just talked to FP, we got a way to get Fangs out of Riverdale but we got to get him out of here first" Max told them as Jughead came in the station.

"Well?" Max turned to him.

"Archie's coming but we don't have a lot of time" Jughead sighed before going to Sheriff Minetta. "We can't take Fangs out the front. We have to take him out the side entrance."

"Crowd's out there too. So pick your poison, Serpent" Minetta coldly replied before walking away.

"You son of a-" Max was about to rush the new Sheriff but was held back by Toni.

"What do we do man?" Sweet Pea asked with nerves laced in his voice, as the crowd outside got louder.

"I don't wanna die!" Fangs cried out, legitimately afraid for his life.

"Hey, you're not going to. Look at me, okay" Jughead put his hands on either side of Fangs' face. "We stand together, so none of us falls" Jughead puts his other hand on Sweet Pea's shoulder, as they stood together. Jughead, Max, Toni, Sweet Pea and Fangs had to stand together. They had to give each other strength.

"No Serpent stands alone, in unity there's strength" Max rallied her family together.

"In unity, there's strength!" they all cried out together, putting they arms around each other as they brought their foreheads together.

The five of them left the Sheriff's station together in arms, with Fangs in the middle. The crowd shouted and chanted against Fangs, but the Serpents pushed through the sea of people. Jughead and Max lead the way, as FP made him way over, helping them clear through the crowd. The Serpents weren't going to allow anyone hurt Fangs.

As they made their way through the sea of people, they failed to notice was Reggie making his way towards them, with a gun in his hand. Having mulled over it and some encouragement from Hiram Lodge, Reggie was going to take the law into his hands.

The struggle to get through was harder and harder and as Reggie was about to pull out the gun, Archie tackled him to the ground. But as they fell, the gun went off, causing the crowd to grow silent. As the gun went off, Max felt Fangs stumble. She looked down to see blood staining her gray tee shirt. Fangs looked down to see that he was shot the abdomen. Suddenly time had stopped as Fangs sunk into Max's arms.

"Fangs, god! Fangs!" Max cried as she cradled his head in her arms. Max placed her hand on Fangs' gunshot wound, noticing it drenched in blood.

"Max, it hurts..." he cried as FP, Joaquin, Jughead, Toni, and Sweet Pea surrounded them.

"Hey, you're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay, do you hear me" Max held Fangs' cheek, talking through her tears as Toni held onto his hand while, Jughead and Sweet Pea tried to stop the profuse bleeding. "FP! Jughead!" Max had reached her boiling point.

"Get help!" Jughead shouted into the crowd as FP swore under his breath.

Sweet Pea felt his heart sink as he watched Max cry and Fangs fight for his life. But that was quickly replaced with anger when he saw Archie and Reggie on the ground with a gun.

Both sides broke down as the Serpents delivered blows to every Northsider they could lay their hands on, as Max's shrieks resonated throughout Riverdale.

The powder keg had officially exploded and Riverdale was about to be enveloped in flames...

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, that made my heart drop a little bit. I'm seriously hoping, Fangs doesn't die! I feel like Midge's killing was an act just to turn the heat up on the Southside Serpents. And right now, whoever had done this has Riverdale exactly where they want it.  
There is a lot to unpack here...**  
 **First, Max and Sweet Pea. It's clear that he doesn't appreciate Max lying to him. Even though they are on the same page, I feel like Sweet Pea will hold this against her. Do you think Max did the right thing by keeping this to herself? Or does Max have a point in if Sweet Pea knew about Fangs/Midge, he would hide it from her too?**  
 **Also, Max going to her grandfather for help was surprising. But desperation to protect the people you care about would drive you to do things you never think you'd do. I mentioned the groundhog fund earlier in the story, but Max keeps emergency money for life and death situations. It's clear that this is a life/death situation. What do you guys think of Max going to Nathaniel for help?**  
 **Also, the Serpents. The Fab Five (Jughead, Max, Toni, Sweet Pea, Fangs) they are my faves! That moment at the police station when they put their arms around each other and connected foreheads, seriously got me in the feels. Even though they might not see eye to eye, at the end of the day they are family.**  
 **Finally, the moment Fangs was shot, I felt my heart drop. But you guys could only imagine how Max feels. She did everything she could only one of her best friends to be shot in front of her. Max has been holding everything in and this may be her tipping point.  
Overall, what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Riverdale has officially broken down and all hell has broken loose...  
Please Read&Review**


	30. An Eye for an Eye

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope you guys had a fantastic week and an even more fantastic weekend! I am both excited and sad for the end of the second season of Riverdale. While I'm getting ridiculously inspired, I'm so sad that I have to wait so long for season 3. This past episode was so intense, I had to break it up cause there are so many things going on. Also, thank you so much for the favs/follows, it means a lot! Please don't be afraid to review as well! I love hearing your guy's thoughts and views.  
Also, to address a guest question I got in the reviews, Max's is Serpent tattoo is on her chest, right above her heart. I think I mentioned it in one of the chapters. So, she could get away with hiding it, depending on the shirt she wears.  
** **In this chapter, Riverdale is up in flames and Max makes a heartbreaking decision that sends her to a very dark place. A place that no one can pull her out off...  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _You have no idea what I'm capable off..._ "

 **...**

Chapter XXVIII. An Eye for an Eye

Max stormed into her house and grabbed a go bag from the storage closet. Grabbing a handful of clothes and toiletries, Max went to her room and got the groundhog fund. With the town falling apart, Max needed all the money she had. After stuffing the money in the go bag, Max went to her desk. Opening the drawer, Max pulled out a Glock 19 9x19 mm, the handle had the initials _JL_ engraved on it. This Glock belonged to Max's late father, and she often kept it for life and death situations. While Max preferred not to use it, she knew how to fire and when to fire it.

Stuffing it inside her jacket, Max went to Rafe's room and saw that he was fast asleep. "Rafe, wake up..." Max shook his shoulder. "Rafe, come on..."

"Max..." Rafe slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?"

"Get up, we're going somewhere..."

"Max, it's late. Where are we going?" Rafe put on his glasses.

"Just trust me. Come on, we need to hurry" Max grabbed the go bag and ran out to her garage. Pulling the tarp off her mother's old Camaro. Max got inside her Camaro and warmed it up, as Rafe got inside the car. Starting it up, Max made a beeline to the Bus Station. As she drove through town, the riots were getting worse. After what happened at the Sheriff's station, Riverdale had completely broken down.

"Max, what's going on with everyone?" Rafe looked out the window, but Max stayed silent. Looking over at her, Rafe saw that Max's shirt was covered in blood. "Max, you're covered in blood! Are you hurt?!"

Without saying a word, Max placed her hand on the back of Rafe's head as she pulled up to the bus station. Grabbing the bag, Max held Rafe's hand as they approached the bus line. Max clutched onto her brother's hand, not wanting to let go. At this point, Max didn't know what else to do. Riverdale was falling apart at the seams and she didn't want her brother around for it. With the riots happening in the streets, it was only going to be a matter of time before the rioters made it to Sunnyside...

"Max, why are we here?"

"Rafe, you need to get on that bus..." Max said alarmingly calm.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm not going with you..." Max crouched down to her little brother's height. "See him?" Max pointed to Joaquin. "He's a friend of mine, he's gonna take you out of Riverdale for a little while..."

"Why?"

"There are a lot of bad people and I don't know if I could protect you..." Max sniffled. "You're not safe here."

"No! No! I'm not leaving without you!" Rafe cried, clutching onto Max's hands. "I won't leave without you..."

"Hey, hey..." Max cupped Rafe's face, calming him down. "It's okay, _I'll_ be okay. I have important stuff that I need to do here..."

"Why do I have to leave? Why can't I stay here with you?"

"Because I want you to be safe and your safer anywhere else but here..." Max reasoned out. "If something happens to you, I could never forgive myself."

"Nothing's going to happen" Rafe tried to be strong.

"You don't know that. I've seen things Rafe, and there are people out there that hate me. They hate me so much that they will be willing to hurt you, to get to me. And I refuse to let that happen. You saw what happened on the street. No one is safe anymore, you're not safe" Max sighed. "When all this over, I'll come back for you."

"Promise?"

"I promise" Max kissed the top of Rafe's head. "Now, I need you be strong. I need you to get on that bus and don't look back."

Standing up, Max felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced over her shoulder, it was Joaquin. "It's time..." he told her.

Nodding her head, Max crouched down to Rafe's height. Sniffling, Rafe was done fighting the tears. He couldn't fathom the idea of being away from Max. "Hey, no tears" Max wiped Rafe's tears away. "Everything's going to be okay. This isn't permanent. We'll be together again soon..."

Sniffling, Rafe threw his arms against Max's one last time. Wrapping her arms around Rafe one last time, Max kissed the side of Rafe's head several times, as tears leaked out of her face. "I love you Max..."

"I love you too, little man..."

"Max..." Joaquin spoke out. "If we're leaving, we need to leave now..."

Nodding her head, Max reluctantly pulled away from Rafe. "Please take care of him..."

"With my life" Joaquin kissed the top of Max's head. "I'll call you when we get to San Junipero..."

Nodding her head, Max turned around as Joaquin and Rafe boarded the bus. Max couldn't watch her younger brother walk away from her. As he boarded the bus, Rafe looked back at Max, who still had her back to him.

"She can't watch you leave, it'll break her heart" Joaquin whispered to him. Sniffling, Rafe got on the bus with Joaquin.

"Are you a Serpent? Like my sister?" Rafe asked him.

"You knew?" Joaquin asked him, surprised. Max was very careful of hiding that world from him.

"I always knew..." One day while Max was out with Jughead, Rafe was snooping around Max's room. While he was looking through her closet, Rafe saw Max's Serpent Jacket in the very back. Suddenly, everything started to click in Rafe's head. Why she was gone for hours at time, why she leaves the trailer in the middle of the night, why she was so protective of him. Everything was making sense.

"And you weren't afraid?"

"Why would I be? She would never hurt me..." Even though Max was a part of a gang, Rafe didn't look at Max differently. She loves him, she protects him, and does everything in her power to help him succeed. Being a Serpent didn't change that. As they sat there, bus driver started driving.

Once she heard the bus, Max turned around to see the bus leaving Riverdale. As she saw the bus getting further out of sight, Max felt her heart break a bit more.

With Rafe out of Riverdale, he was safe. Her enemies couldn't use him as leverage against her. But also, with Rafe out of Riverdale meant that there was nothing holding Max back now. Max is going to show everyone why she's the Queen of the Southside...

 **...**

After dropping Rafe off, Max made a beeline to the hospital. As she walked in, several riot victims were checking in because of injuries. The bodies and the casualties were piling up. Max looked around to see FP and Jughead bringing Fangs in, who was still bleeding out from his wound.

"Help us! We need a doctor!" FP shouted.

"Ma'am" Jughead walked up to the nurse's station.

"Wait your turn please..." she said not even bothering to look up.

"He was just shot" Jughead explained.

"I need you to step back..."

"My friend was shot you hag! He's dying!" Max shouted, pounding her fist on the desk, instantly grabbing her attention.

"What's going on here?" a doctor asked.

"My best friend was shot in the stomach, he needs help" Max pleaded.

"Hey, get me a gurney!" the doctor asked. As FP and Jughead put Fangs on a gurney, he grabbed Max's hand.

"Max..." Fangs cried.

"Hey, you're going to be okay. I got you" Max reassured him as the doctors rolled him in for surgery.

As they stood there, Max ran her fingers through her hair before kicking a trash can. Fangs is wounded and Rafe is gone. Everything Max cared about was slowly starting to be taken from her.

"Hey, is it done?" FP asked her, referring to Rafe.

"Yeah" Max gained her composure. "He and Joaquin left a little while ago..."

"Max..." FP put a hand on her shoulder. FP knew very well what Max was capable of. Max did things that even her father would not go near, and a lot of that was a means to survive. Max was dealt a raw deal, so she had to fight to get what she wants. She was not afraid to cross over to the dark side if it meant protecting the Serpents, if it meant winning a war. But what kept her from ever crossing that line was Rafe. With him being gone, all bets are off and there was no telling what she's planning. "You need to be in control..."

"We're way past that, FP..." Max growled as her phone went off. It was Sweet Pea. A few of the Serpents were at Riverdale High on a mission. Reggie Mantle was a wanted man and the Serpents wanted his head on a plate. FP picked up the change in Max's expression. "Max, we have a fallen soldier, you can't just leave. That's not the leader you are..."

"You're right. The leader I am is, is the leader that will bury whoever decides mess with the people I love..." Max growled as she left the hospital.

"Max..." Jughead said as she pushed past him. "Dad, where's she going?"

"Max is on a rampage, boy. The Bulldogs are as good as dead."

"She's not going to do anything dumb..." Jughead rationalized. "Max is smarter than that..."

"You haven't seen what she's capable off" FP sighed. "All bets are off..."

 **...**

Pulling up to Riverdale High, Max parked her car to see Sweet Pea and a few other Serpents waiting for her. With Fangs sidelined and Jughead occupied, Max was ready to step up and do her part. All that was on her mind was to bury the Bulldogs that hurt their friend.

"You ready to raise some hell?" Sweet Pea growled.

"Oh yeah, for Fangs..." Max gritted her teeth as the Serpents stormed the school. "Let's go!" When they were inside, the Serpents started to tear Riverdale High apart. Flicking out his knife, Sweet Pea dragged it along a flier before letting out a frustrated scream. Angry, Max grabbed a chair and threw it against the framed portrait of Principal Weatherbee.

"Serpents stop!" a voice exclaimed. It was Archie, Moose, and Kevin, ready to fight for their school.

"Well guys, looks like we got some Bulldogs to put down" Sweet Pea growled.

"Guys I swear, Reggie didn't shoot Fangs. It was Mrs. Klump..." Archie said calmly.

"Bull, I saw Mantle with the gun!" Sweet Pea growled.

"Then you also saw me tackle him before he got a shot off. It was Midge's mom, she's down at the station."

"Yeah? And Fangs is still clinging to life. Whether it was Reggie or Mrs. Klump who pulled the trigger a Northsider put him there!" Sweet Pea roared.

"You damn Northsiders are all the same. Fangs was innocent but you decided to be judge, jury, and executioner. And our brother is paying for it with his life" Max said with a sadistic look in her eye. "You took our land. You take and take until we have nothing. We are done letting you steal everything that matters to us. Now, you get to watch as we bury you..." Max reached into her jacket and pulled out her Glock.

"Whoa, whoa, Max. Why do you have a gun?" Archie put his hands up in defense.

"Just a little insurance policy, for nights like this" Max stared at it.

"Max, you're not gonna pull that trigger" Archie used some familiar words. Archie knew Max was crazy, but she couldn't be that crazy to shoot them.

"You know the difference between me and you, Red. Is that my word means something..." Max said alarmingly calm before shooting the trophy case, shattering the glass into millions of shards. Archie, Kevin, and Moose flinched back while the Serpents stood tall. "So, what's stopping me from putting a slug in between your eyes? What's stopping me from making you feel the pain and the agony that Fangs felt?"

Realizing there was no other solution, Archie, Kevin, and Moose braced themselves for a fight. Flicking their switchblades, Max stood in front, glock in hand ready to shoot the first shot. Before anything could happen, Principal Weatherbee came out with a bat in hand.

"The hell are you kids doing to my school?!" Weatherbee exclaimed. "Get out!"

Refusing to waste their energy, Max, Sweet Pea and the Serpents left. "You guys up for a little trip?" Max smirked.

"Where to?" Sweet Pea asked.

"I'm thinking the Klumps, figured we should get 'em back."

"Let's go..." Sweet Pea growled, as the Serpents mounted their bikes and headed down Fernleaf. Whether it was Reggie or Mrs. Klump, someone had to pay for what happened for Fangs. When they arrived at the house, Max was looking for something to trash the Klump house. As Sweet Pea and the Serpents trashed the front of the house, Max noticed two gallons of gasoline next door.

Going to get the gasoline, before Max could go back, Jughead pulled up. "Hey, what are you guys doing?!" Jughead roared. Sweet Pea looked back at Max, gesturing her to hide.

'Just doing what we do best" Sweet Pea smirked.

"Well, we don't need anymore heat on us. Let's go!' Jughead instructed them. "Where's Max? Isn't see here with you guys?"

Glancing over his shoulder, Max was hiding in a bush in the neighbor's yard. "Nah, she went to the hospital. To go check on Fangs..."

"Alright, let's go!" Jughead roared as the Serpents left.

As they rode off, Max came out from hiding. Max couldn't help but smile. She knew what Sweet Pea was trying to do. He wanted her to finish what they started. Mrs. Klump's act against the Serpents was treason and must be met with retribution, and Max was going to be delivering it. With the town in turmoil, Max could do just about anything and not get busted for it.

Wrapping her bandana around her mouth, Max grabbed a gallon on gasoline and started to pour it around Midge's house.

"You're going to burn..." Max growled as she poured the last of the gasoline on the front porch. "See you in hell..." Max took out her lighter and threw it on the gasoline. And in second, the Klump house was engulfed in flames. As the house was swallowed in flames, Max stood there with a dark look in her eyes. This was a look that Max didn't get all too often. But when she did, no one was safe...

 **...**

After burning down the Klump House, Max pulled up to the hospital. She had to see Fangs, she had to know that he was going to be okay.

"Hi, I'm here to see Fangs Fogarty..." Max walked to the Nurse's station.

"Fogarty..." the nurse looked down at her log. "Room 265."

"Thanks" Max said as she went down to Fangs' room. Once she entered the room, Max felt her heart break when she saw Fangs hooked up to several machines. "God..." Max let out a deep breath as she walked over to her best friend.

Taking his hand, Max closed her eyes to compose herself. All she could think about was what happened at the Sheriff's station and the look of fear plastered all over Fangs' face.

" _I don't wanna die_!" Fangs' cries rung in Max's head like a bad song that you just wanted to forget but you couldn't. Even though her eyes were closed, tears were falling. "I'm sorry. I couldn't keep my promise. I let you down..." Max whispered, as she leaned her forehead on his.

After losing her parents, Max promised herself she wouldn't lose anyone else. As long as she was breathing, Max was going to do everything she could to protect the Serpents. But that promise meant nothing now because she couldn't protect Fangs, like she said she would. Pulling away, Max took one glance at Fangs before a blank look appeared on her face. "They're going to pay. They all will. I'm going to make this right..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **This is only a small glimpse of what Max is capable of doing. With Fangs in the hospital and Rafe out of Riverdale, there nothing holding Max back now. You guys have seen two sides of Max over the course of the story. This time Max's dark side will take over, clouding her rational judgement. Max holds everything in and doesn't handle loss very well, and mixing those things is a recipe for disaster.  
** **There is a bit to unpack...  
** **First, Max & Rafe. While it was tough, I get where Max is coming from. At this point, anywhere else but Riverdale would be a safe place for Rafe. Do you guys think Max did the right thing? Also, what do you think of Rafe always knowing Max was a Serpent? Honestly, even though Max was in a gang, Rafe's love for his sister is unconditional and you can see that.  
** **Also crazy Max. If Max raises hell, she'll raise it. First, what do you guys think of Max pulling the gun on Archie and the Bulldogs? Archie was wasting his time trying to coax Max off the edge. Was that too much? Also, the Serpents at the Klumps. What do you think of Sweet Pea covering for Max? Do you think he did the right thing? Also, Max burning the Klumps house to the ground, I could just imagine her eyes doing dark as the fires engulfed the house. That gives me chills.  
** **Finally, Max and Fangs. Writing that part did break my heart a bit. Max is taking a lot of responsibility for what happened to Fangs, do you think she should? Do you guys think she let Fangs down?  
** **Overall, what do you guys think of this chapter? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
** **Max has nothing to lose now, and no one wants to fight anyone whose playing with house money.  
** **Please Read &Review**


	31. Let Them Burn

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope you guys had an amazing week! I had just turned in my final assignment, and I am officially done with school! I am so excited to get caught up with my writing and developing some new ideas. I don't have much to update you guys on other than, thank you for the favs/follows and don't be afraid to review! Also, I know I'm on the late train but if you guys want a visual on what Max looks like, the actress I picked was** _Chrissy Costanza_ **. And Rafe's actor is** _Nicholas_ ** _Bechtel_. I just wanted to throw that out there.**  
 **This past episode of Riverdale has me shook. I don't wanna reveal too much for those who haven't watched it. But I will say that it gives me a lot of ideas moving forward for Season 3. It also gives me a newfound hatred for Hiram Lodge.**  
 **In this chapter, Jughead and Max butt heads over what's best for the Serpents. Also a familiar face returns to Riverdale that completely changes the game...** **  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _I_ _'ll light a fire you guys won't be able to put out_..."

 **...**

Chapter XXIX. Let Them Burn

Back at the Whyte Wyrm, Jughead was corralling the remaining Serpents from destroying Riverdale. After what happened to Fangs, the Serpents were out for blood. Whether it was Reggie or Mrs. Klump, the Serpents wanted someone's head for what happened to Fangs. Someone had to pay.

"I can't just sit here!" Sweet Pea growled.

"You don't have a choice, Sweet Pea! You're staying put!" Jughead pinned the tall Serpent to the wall, only for Sweet Pea push back.

"You said it yourself, the Ghoulies are back."

"We will deal with them. As soon as my dad gets back-"

"Oh? So you're not our leader all of a sudden?" a voice spoke out. The Serpents looked up to see Max walking into the Whyrm.

"Max..." Jughead breathed out.

"A leader doesn't pick and choose their battles. They do whatever it takes to win the war" Max growled at Jughead.

"You're not our leader, you're just the guy that got Fangs shot" Sweet Pea backed up Max.

"Watch it..." Jughead whispered.

"You're not innocent in all of this. One of our own is fighting for his life because you put all your trust in a Northsider. The Ghoulies are out for our blood because of your Northside buddy..." Max growled. "The Serpents were fine before you came, _we_ were fine! We were getting by until you came into our world!" In Max's mind, Jughead fought unnecessary battles that seemingly came to bite them. The Serpents were paying for Jughead's choices.

"An hour, that's all I'm asking for..." Jughead pleaded to her.

"One hour before I take care of things myself" Max threatened. "And trust me, you don't want that..."

"I'll make this right..."

"I need a smoke..." Max growled as she walked out of the Whyte Wyrm. As she stood in the alley, lighting her cigarette, Max took a very long drag. Max was at the point of no return. As Max took another drag, a bag covered her head.

"What the hell?!" Max said muffled as someone carried her off. "Put me down!" Max kicked but it was useless. Max was thrown into a back of truck before driving off. The drive took forever, until the truck came to an abrupt stop. "What the hell?! Where am I?!" Max yelled as someone carried her out and threw her on the ground.

Taking the bag off her head, Max was face to face with someone she thought she'd never see again.

"Long time no see Maxie..."

"Snake Charmer..." Max sneered. "What are you doing back in Riverdale? If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure FP left you in a ditch somewhere..."

"Oh he did, I still need to get him back for that. But I found some back up" Penny smirked.

"Oh should I be scared? It's like you don't know me..." Max said alarmingly quiet. "I don't fear you because you are nothing more than a little worm masquerading as a Serpent."

"I would choose your words carefully..."

"Why?"

"Cause you wouldn't want anything happening to her..." Penny smirked as one of her cronies pushed Toni forward.

"Toni" Max breathed out. "She has nothing to do with this..."

"Oh she does, you think I would risk kidnapping the Queen of the Serpents without having a backup plan" Penny got in Max's face. "Oh Max, I thought you know me better than that." Angry, Max spit right in Penny's face. That action alone was enough to show Penny what Max really thought of her. Smirking, Penny wiped her face before backing up. "I'm going to get you back for that..."

"I'd like to see you try..." Max challenged her.

Angry, Penny roughly pulled Toni by the hair.

"Leave her alone!" Max yelled.

"Why? A little birdie told me that you two had a bit of falling out? Why do you care what happens to her?" Penny questioned Max. "I'd be doing you a favor..."

"Because a Serpent never leaves on our own for dead..." Max growled. "If you wanna get someone back, it's me. Toni wasn't the one that beat the crap out of you, it was me. She wasn't the one that stabbed you, it was me. She has nothing to do with this..."

"Oh she does, but we're gonna have a little fun. Shall we?" Penny pulled out her phone and called someone.

" _Hello_..."

"Hello loverboy, it's your old gal pal" Penny taunted Jughead.

" _Penny_..." Jughead sighed. " _You picked a really bad time_..."

"Oh I heard, Riverdale burning to the ground. It's tragic, how about we meet up and talk about it? Hmmmm. You're old hangout by the docks?"

" _Why the hell would I do that_?"

"Cause if you don't, I'll start carving up your girlfriend's face..." Penny threatened.

" _Betty_?"

"Please..." Penny laughed. "Ponytail's a snooze. No, I mean your Southside Smurfette. Or maybe I'll have some fun with your little partner in crime? Who do you think I should start with?"

"Tell her to go to hell, Jug!" Max shouted.

"Maybe I should start with Max's tongue" Penny rolled her eyes. "Come now and alone. It'll just be me, Pinkie, and Max..."

As Penny hung up the phone, she turned to her captives. "This is going to be way too easy..."

"We will bury you, bitch" Max gritted through her teeth.

"Is that a threat?" Penny got in Max's face.

"Oh no, Penny. That's a _promise_..." Max guaranteed before meeting a back hand slap to the face. Licking the blood off her bottom lip, Max smiled at Penny. "Is that all you got?"

Annoyed, Penny walked away as Max spit out the blood in her mouth. It took a lot to rattle Max and Penny knew that. She wasn't going to waste her energy on Max. Penny has bigger fish to fry and goal she's determined to see through.

"You shouldn't have done that" Toni whispered to her.

"It's like you don't know me" Max smirked. "I'm sorry..."

"Max..."

"No..." Max cut her off. "I'm sorry, for everything. No matter what, I could never turn my back on you..."

Before Toni could say anything, Jughead made his way over to them. "Toni, Max. You guys okay?"

"Jughead, she's not alone..." Toni whispered.

Hearing a crash, Jughead flicked open his knife as Malachi came out from the shadows. "Surprise..."

"You said it was just going to be the two of us" Jughead glared at Penny.

"Never go anywhere without backup anymore, not after what you two did to me" Penny sneered. "Besides, we need to talk. All of us..."

"There's nothing to talk about" Jughead stood his ground. "I'm taking Toni and Max and we're leaving."

"Not so fast, I've been waiting to see you again for a long time..." Malachi fried up his taser. Malachi had a bone to pick with Jughead and Max, especially after what happened at the race.

"Get back you hobgoblin..." a voice spoke out. It was Cheryl, her bow raised and ready to fire.

"I brought back up too" Jughead smirked. "Like I said, I'm taking Max and Toni and we're leaving..."

"Untie them, you Serpent hag..." Cheryl threatened.

"Take 'em then. But remember when all your friends are dead, I tried giving you a chance" Penny reasoned out as Malachi freed Toni and Max. Toni went straight to Cheryl, while Max stood with Jughead.

"Why do you keep coming back here?" Max asked Penny. "What do you want?"

"The Southside" Penny said plain and simple. "There's money to be made here in the town with pep. If you're not afraid of getting your hands dirty."

"So you partnered with the Ghoulies to sell drugs on the Southside?" Jughead realized.

"Bingo" Penny smirked.

"You always knew how to play dirty, Penny" Max sneered at her. "How long have you been scheming with these good for nothing Ghoulies?"

"Does it matter? There's more of us than there are of you" Penny smirked. So here's the offer I want you to take back to your dad and your tribe: the Serpents ship out tonight or it's a showdown with the Ghoulies at Pickens Park at dawn..."

"You always were the scum of the Earth, Penny. Always looking for the easy way out..." Max glared at her former Serpent.

Back at the Whyte Wyrm, the Serpents were trying to figure out what to do. Now that Ghoulies were out, the Serpents didn't have the bodies to fight. This was a battle that the Serpents were going to lose. The Serpents were in no place to barter with Penny Peabody, not after what they did to her.

"It's time we end the Ghoulies scourge, and that traitor Penny Peabody. Permanently" Sweet Pea roared.

"Sweet Pea two hours ago, your fight was with Reggie Mantle. Now you want us to go to war over territory that we don't even control?!"

"We wouldn't have to be fighting all these battles if it wasn't for you!" Max pointed the finger at Jughead. "Mantle, the Lodges, Snake Charmer, that was all _you_!"

"This is Hiram Lodge's problem, not our's!" Jughead bit back.

"So you're just going to hand over Sunnyside Trailer Park, our home to Penny and the Ghoulies?" Toni stood up. Toni finally understood what Max was saying all along. This was their home and she wasn't going to let the Ghoulies dismantle it.

"Toni, I don't want us to die..." Jughead reasoned out. "A rumble with the Ghoulies right now it's a suicide mission."

"It's better than a coward's death" Sweet Pea bit back.

"We have a right to defend ourselves, I'd rather die for something meaningful than run like a weakling!" Max gritted her teeth.

Before Jughead can retort, FP shouted, "That's enough!" The Serpents turned to their leader. "I just got a call from the Sheriff's Office. Fangs uh... he didn't make it, he's gone..."

"Fangs is dead?" Jughead asked his father.

"We will mourn him, hell yeah we will but first we will honor him" FP rallied the last remaining Serpents. "From what I just heard it sounds like we need to put it to a vote. All those against going to war with the Ghoulies..." No Serpent responded. "All those for giving them hell on the battlefield tomorrow..." Every Serpent in the Whyrm raised their Serpent Fangs, along with Cheryl showing her support. The Serpents weren't going to go down without a fight. The only person that didn't vote was Jughead...

 **...**

Needing to regroup, Jughead, Max, and FP were back at the Jones' trailer, trying to figure out a game plan. While FP and Max were dead set on fighting back, Jughead couldn't do it. Jughead couldn't allow the Serpents to fight this battle with the Ghoulies, because they simply don't have the bodies. If the Serpents fight this battle, they could go extinct. Jughead wasn't going to let that happen.

"This is a mistake, you can see that..." Jughead said. "Both of you, right? We'd be going in blind, would you listen to me for two seconds?!" Jughead threw FP's book on the ground. "For all we know, the Ghoulies outnumber us 100 to one."

"Don't you think I know that?!" FP kicked the table, getting in his son's face. FP let out a frustrated scream as he threw a chair across the room. "Boy, I've been doing this longer than you have. And we voted. If we're going down, we're going down fighting. As far as being outnumbered, I'll rally the reserves. They'll fight..."

"Max, we can't do this..." Jughead went to her. "Say something!"

"You want me to say something, huh?" Max got in Jughead's face. "You don't what means to be Serpent..."

"Are you seriously pulling that card right now?" Max has been harping on Jughead's Serpent status for as long as he could remember. Just when he thought he was starting to gain her respect, she looked at him with disdain.

"Yes, because Serpents aren't cowards. Serpents don't run away..." Max sneered in Jughead's face. "We don't care how many they have on us, we will fight to protect what's our's. I will damned if I let that traitor steal our home without putting a goddamn fight..."

"Max, we could die..."

"Then I'd rather die for something meaningful" Max bit back. "You can't use your brain this time. Use your heart..." Max pointed to his chest. "You have it, use it..."With that said, Max left Jughead to decide what he wants to do.

As she walked back to her trailer, Max went to Rafe's room. As she stood there, she took everything in. Rafe's room was exactly how it was when she left it. As she stood there, Max felt her heart drop 10,000 feet into the ground. Rafe was gone and Fangs was dead, this was the most alone Max has felt.

"Max..." a voice spoke out. It was Sweet Pea.

"Sweets..." Max turned to her boyfriend.

"I figured you needed someone..."

Without saying a word, Max went straight into his arms, holding on to him for dear life. "Please don't leave me. I don't want to be myself..."

"I got you..." Sweet Pea kissed the top of her head. "We need to go soon, we need to get ready. We have a battle ahead of us..."

Nodding her head, Max looked up at Sweet Pea. During all the madness and the darkness, Max was able to lean on him. Sweet Pea has had every reason to leave her, but the fact that he has stayed has warmed her heart. "I love you..." Max whispered.

"That's the first time you've ever said that..." Sweet Pea smiled.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it..." Max smiled. "I love you..."

"I love you too..." Sweet Pea smiled, giving Max a sweet kiss on her lips. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear that from you..."

Smiling, Max leaned up to give Sweet Pea one more kiss before wrapping her arms around him. Max knows what's waiting for her and the Serpents the minute she walks out that door, so she wants to cherish this moment while she still has it.

 **...**

Back at the Whyrm, the last remaining Serpents were getting ready for battle. With the Ghoulies coming for them, the Serpents had to be ready. Even though they didn't have the bodies, the Serpents made sure they had the fire power.

"I got the last of them..." Max said as she put a duffel on the pool table. Inside, were a number of firearms.

"We need all we could get" Toni said as she started loading them up.

As they were getting ready, FP was coming in with the last of the ammo. "Betty, are you and your mom okay?"

" _Mr. Jones_ _is Jughead with you_?" Betty asked him.

"No, he's at the trailer. Why?" FP threw another bag of firearms on the pool table.

" _I'm just really worried about him_. _He called to say how much he loved me and it almost sounded like he was saying goodbye for good_..."

FP quickly put the dots together. He had a strong feeling that Jughead went to Penny and the Ghoulies on his own to keep the Serpents from fighting. "Max, Toni, where was Penny hiding you guys?"

"By the docks, why?" Max asked.

Without saying a word, FP ran out.

"Something doesn't feel right..." Max looked up at Sweet Pea. "We should check it out..." Nodding their heads, Max, Toni and Sweet Pea left.

"Hogeye, you hold down the fort" Max instructed.

It was a short drive to the docks. When they got there, Cheryl, Archie and Betty were already there. "What are you guys doing here?" Max asked.

"Toni texted us, where's Jughead?" Archie looked around for his best friend, but he was nowhere in sight.

Looking around, FP came out of the clearing with a body in his arms. It was Jughead, all bloodied and beaten. FP looks like his entire world had come collapsing around him. This was exactly what FP was afraid of when Jughead forced his way into his world. Jughead was FP's world.

"My god..." Max gasped when she noticed that Jughead's Serpent tattoo was carved out. Before she could fall to her knees Sweet Pea caught her. Cradling her head, Max hid her face in Sweet Pea's chest.

It turns out Jughead more heart, more heart than Max has thought...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Honestly, that ending scene was so dark. But it's clear that the Serpents are losing bodies by the second. There is a bit to unpack...  
** **First, Max vs. Jughead. Obviously they are the dynamic duo, the team no one wants to mess with. They have had some great moments over the course of the series. But it's clear that Max holds some deep resentment towards Jughead for his somewhat reckless choices. Do you think Max has a point? Are all these battles the Serpents were fighting because of Jughead?  
** **Also, it seems like Toni and Max are finally back on the same page! Even though she was mad, Max could never turn her back on Toni. And it seems Toni is finally understanding what Max has been preaching. Even though they developed lives for themselves on the Northside, the Serpents' hearts will always be on the Southside.  
Overall, what do you guys think of the chapter? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review!**


	32. In the Ashes

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope you guys are having a great day! I know I haven't updated in a minute, but things have been so crazy for me recently. Also, I'm kinda in denial of Riverdale being done. But I have some fun things planned for Season 3 and I'm introducing two new characters that are going to change the game for Max. So be on the lookout for that ;)  
** **Also, I know it's been a while since the Riverdale season finale, but what did you guys think about it? I honestly think after this Max is starting to gain a soft spot for the Northside and a newfound respect for Jughead. In this chapter, Max and Jughead are trying to figure out what's next for the Serpents in the aftermath of their battle with the Ghoulies.  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **..** **.**

" _A wounded army is the scariest army to face_..."

 **...**

Chapter XXX. In the Ashes...

Max was hiding behind a destroyed car as a she loaded up her glock. After what happened to Jughead, the Serpents had added motivation to take the Ghoulies down. But the sheer numbers overwhelmed the Serpents.

Coming out, Max fired without hesitation and managed to hit several Ghoulies in the shoulders. Max is a marksmen, when she fires she usually never misses.

Hiding behind the car, Max gathered her breath as she saw a figure in the distance coming her way. It was Malachi. "I've been waiting for this, Queenie" Malachi growled at her, flashing his taser.

"Bring it on" Max growled as she kicked Malachi's taser right out of his hands. As he rushed at her, Max ducked underneath him before swiping his legs out from under him. Grabbing her glock from her back pocket, Max pistol-whipped Malachi several times. As Max was gonna go at him again, Malachi threw her off and stood over him her.

"No one's saving you now..." Malachi growled as he pulled out his pocket knife. Before he could stab Max, someone pulled Malachi off her. It was Sweet Pea.

Throwing him off the ground, Sweet Pea got on him and punched him in the face several times. Sweet Pea didn't appreciate the Ghoulie roughing up his girlfriend. But Malachi wasn't going to stay down. Punching him in the eye, Sweet Pea stumbled back. Before Malachi could tase Sweet Pea, Max hit him in the back of the head with a rock, knocking him out.

"We need to get out of here..." Max grabbed Sweet Pea's hand as they ran out of Picken's Park.

Getting on Sweet Pea's bike, they went to Sunnyside Trailer Park. When they got to Sunnyside, Max felt her heart break. Her home was destroyed, courtesy of the Ghoulies. Several of the trailers were destroyed, leaving many of the Serpents without homes.

"My god..." Max breathed out.

"Those damn Ghoulies..." Sweet Pea growled.

Without thinking twice, Max ran to the direction of her trailer. That trailer was Max's home, the only home that she's ever known. Max grew up in that trailer and some of her most cherished memories were made there. That trailer was her safe space. When Max got there, her trailer was completely destroyed. Seeing this, Max felt her knees buckle, but Sweet Pea caught her.

"It's not just you..." Sweet Pea's trailer was destroyed too, leaving the two of them without homes.

"How'd this happen?" Max asked him.

"There were just too many of them. There was nothing we could do."

"I-I-I gotta go. I need to go to the hospital. I have to make sure Jughead is alright" Max stood up.

"Okay, go."

"Are you gonna be alright?" Max asked Sweet Pea concerned.

"Yeah, I'm gonna make sure everyone else is alright."

"Okay, be careful" Max gave Sweet Pea one last kiss on his lips, before heading to the hospital.

"I love you..." Sweet Pea whispered as he went back to Picken's Park to see if there were any Serpents that needed help.

 **...**

Max went into Riverdale Hospital, clad with bruises and cuts on her face. "Excuse me miss, you're hurt. Do you need a doctor?" a nurse went up to her.

"I'm fine, I'm here to see Jughead Jones. Where's his room?"

"Room 270" the nurse checked her log.

"Thanks" Max made a beeline to Jughead's room.

As she walked in, the first thing Max noticed was FP, knocked out in the chair next to his son. Simply staring at Jughead, Max felt her heart wrench. Max had always felt like Jughead weaseled his way into their world because of who he was. Max felt like he wasn't personally invested in the Serpents, only using them at his convenience. She always felt like the Serpents were his soldiers to fight his battles. But seeing that Jughead was willing to lay his life on the line for the Serpents so they wouldn't have to fight his battle, Max was colored impressed and ridden with guilt.

"Max..." FP woke up. "Are you alright?" FP noticed Max's face was covered in bruises and cuts.

"How is he?" Max kept her gaze fixed on Jughead, who was hooked to several machines.

"They did all they could, it's on him now" FP sighed. "How's it looking out there?"

"It was a bloodbath out there..." Max sighed. "The Ghoulies destroyed Sunnyside. The Southside is up in flames. It can't end like this, it can't..."

"It may be Max, it may be..." FP frowned as Jughead woke up.

"Dad, Max..." Jughead spoke.

"Jug..." FP stood up.

"What I miss?" Jughead asked.

"What you did brought every Serpent I've ever known out of the woodwork. You would've been proud of 'em boy" FP sat down. "It looked like we were gonna win the day but in the end, there was just too many Ghoulies. It's like shooting snakes in a barrel..."

"Why? Why did you guys go?"

"I wanted to avenge you..." FP growled.

"I had an agreement with Hiram Lodge..." Jughead reasoned.

"There wasn't any stopping the others, we wanted fight back" Max spoke out. "Especially what they did to you..."

"They were churned up about you and Fangs, even though Fangs... is-uh still alive" FP revealed.

"Fangs is alive?" Jughead asked as Max looked at FP incredulously.

"That can't be..." Max whispered.

"But you said a deputy called you and told you..." Max looked at FP with fire in her eyes.

"It was a lie..."

"A ploy, you mean" Jughead frowned. "To goad the Serpents into a fight we'll never win..."

"All of what happened that night was Hiram Lodge puppeteering all of us. It was all him..." Max hit the wall with her bloodied fist.

"The Serpents followed me right into it" Jughead sighed.

"Sunnyside Trailer Park fell..." FP revealed. "Our trailer's still standing but most of them burned."

"After the rumble, some of the Serpents defected, joined the Ghoulies. Others were arrested, a lot of them went into hiding, and the rest just ran... ran out of Riverdale..." Max revealed to him.

"The Serpents... they don't exist anymore" FP breathed out. "We had our time. Nothing for you to do but to get better and to be there for Betty."

"What happened with Betty?" Jughead asked his father.

"Better her tell you than us. Get some rest" FP stood up as he and Max left.

When they were out of the room, Max stopped FP. "Where is he?" Max referred to Fangs.

"Max..."

"FP, I just saw my home be burned to the ground and my family get slaughtered. I need someone right now..." Max gritted her teeth at FP. "So please let me see him..."

Sighing, FP walked out of the hospital with Max following him. FP and Max made their way to a storage unit in the Southside. "Why are we here?" Max asked.

Not saying a word, FP opened the unit to reveal Fangs. Since the shooting at the Sheriff's station and the riots in Riverdale, FP needed a safe space for Fangs until the heat died on the Serpents.

"Fangs..." Max breathed out, seeing one of best friends living and breathing.

"Miss me?" Fangs smirked. Not saying a word, Max ran over to him and threw her arms around him. After seeing Fangs shot at the Sheriff's station, Max was sure that he had died.

"You have no idea" Max said into his shoulder. "You still need to lay low, the Serpents are still under fire and you're still not safe. Can't have you dying again..."

"Not in this lifetime..." Fangs smirked.

"I gotta go, I'll call you guys later" Max gave Fangs one last hug before leaving the storage unit.

As Max walked through the broken remains of the Southside, she felt her heart sink. Max fought hard to protect her home, but it simply wasn't enough. Max was relieved that Rafe wasn't here, because he would be a casualty of this all out war. If anything happened to Rafe, Max would become even more unhinged than she was right now. As she had walked to the Whyte Wyrm, Max's phone went off. It was a text from Joaquin. It was a photo of Rafe sound asleep, reassuring her that her little brother was safe. That was the only bright light in all of this.

 **...**

The next morning, Max was walking into Riverdale High, trying to brave another day. Her face still healing, Max still had battle scars from the other night. It was clear that Max was broken down, the most broken she's ever felt.

"Hey, how you holding up?" Toni greeted her at her locker.

"I've been better..." Max sighed. "You?"

"I've been good" Toni leaned against the lockers. "Did you mean what you said back there?" Toni referred to Max not wanting to leave her for dead. Toni thought her friendship with Max was dead because she didn't want to choose between Cheryl and the Serpents. But seeing Max stand up for her gave Toni hope that they could get back to where they were before.

"Look, I wasn't hurt that you picked Cheryl over us. I was terrified at the idea of losing you..." Max revealed closing her locker. "I was terrified that Cheryl meant more to you than me. I had already lost Fangs, I lost Rafe, I couldn't lose anyone else..."

Toni just stood there surprised. Toni just chalked down Max's hostility towards Cheryl due to her disdain for the Northside, but she didn't stop to think it was more than that. Toni knows good and well that Max has lost so many people and has had to shoulder that pain on her own. Not knowing this, Toni was ashamed of herself. Max is her best friend, Toni should've known better.

Not saying a word, Toni brought Max into her arms. "You can't get rid of me even if you tried..." Smiling, Max hugged her back as tears peeked out of her eyes.

As they pulled away, their phones started pinging. It was a text from Jughead, telling them they're having an emergency club meeting. "He text you too?" Max asked.

"Yeah, let's check it out" Toni said as they went to the club room. It was only Jughead and Sweet Pea.

"Where's everyone else?" Max asked, concerned.

"They didn't show up" Jughead sighed. "This is how it ends, huh? Not with a whimper, but a memo from Weatherbee."

"What are you talking about?" Max asked them.

"You guys didn't tell her?" Sweet Pea looked at them.

"Tell me what?"

"Weatherbee's kicking us out" Jughead revealed.

"You're kidding..."

"Riverdale High is _suddenly_ overcrowded..." Toni sighed. "So starting next week, all former Southside High students will be bussed to Seaside High..."

"That's two hours away from here" Max huffed.

"Meaning, he blames us for trashing the school during riot night" Sweet Pea frowned.

"To be fair, we kinda _did_ " Max meekly admitted. "I shot up a trophy case."

"What's our play guys?" Sweet Pea leaned his hands on the desk. "Do we have one?"

"I don't know anymore guys. I can't keep fighting for a gang that doesn't exist..." Jughead walked over the window.

"We just can't quit" Max crossed her arms.

"Yeah, what about us?" Toni referred to the three of them. "Or any of the other Serpents at the Wyrm?"

"What Serpents at the Wyrm?" Jughead turned to them.

"You didn't know?" Max raised an eyebrow.

Knowing that they didn't have much to lose, Jughead, Max, Toni, and Sweet Pea ditched school and headed over to the Whyte Wyrm. When they arrived, Jughead was appalled at what he saw. Several of the Serpents were bumming it at the Whyrm because they simply had nowhere else to go. The Serpents were not only hurt, but they're spirits were broken. Not only was he hurt at seeing his family suffer like this, but that his father had lied to him.

"I don't understand..."

"You saw what the Ghoulies did to Sunnyside..." Max frowned.

"A lot of Serpents couldn't afford to leave Riverdale. So we came here..." Sweet Pea added. The Whyte Wyrm was the Serpents safe haven, the only place they had left.

"Does my dad know about this?"

"It was his idea..." Max revealed. "Told us to bum it here so he could figure out a way to get us out of town..."

"God..." Jughead rubbed his eyes. "Have you talked to my dad?"

"Not since yesterday. But I did see him leaving the bodega with a 3x3 and a bottle of vodka..." Max sighed.

"I'm gonna go see him, you coming?" Jughead turned to her.

"I have way too much respect for FP to see him like that. I'll catch you later though..." Max knew that FP had a major drinking problem. He was just starting to get clean for Jughead and Serpents. But seeing his son all bloodied up and the Serpents dismantled the way they were, FP was starting to fall back into his bad habits.

Nodding his head, Jughead left to get to the bottom of the entire situation.

"I'm gonna get some smokes, I'll be right back" Max turned to Toni and Sweet Pea, giving her boyfriend a kiss.

As Max was leaving the Whyte Wyrm, a car pulled up next to her. It was Nathaniel.

"Max, thank god you're okay" Nathaniel pulled her into a hug. When he had gotten word of the riots, Nathaniel couldn't help but worry about his granddaughter's safety.

"Oh, so you finally give a damn about me?" Max looked at her grandfather incredulously. "Where were you when the riots were going on? Hiding in your estate, like a coward?"

"Max, I _was_ worried about you..."

"Yeah I have a hard time believing that..." Max crossed her arms. "It was because your business partner that my home was destroyed. Your business partner almost killed one my friends. You guys ruined our lives."

"Max, I had nothing to do with this. I promise you..."

"I don't believe you..."

"Let me make it up to you. Stay with me for a little while" Nathaniel had heard that Sunnyside Trailer Park was destroyed during the riots. He wants to be able to give his granddaughter a safe place to stay until Sunnyside was repaired.

"Not a chance in hell..." Max stepped back. "I know better than to trust you. You hurt my mother, you let Hiram Lodge hurt me and my family. As far as I'm concerned, you're nothing to me..." With that said, Max left and didn't look back. Nathaniel felt his heart fall 10,000 feet into the ground. Nathaniel knew that his ties would come back to haunt him, and that was at the expense of Max.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well that just happened, there is a bit to unpack here...**  
 **First, it seems like Max is finally giving Jughead her respect as a Serpent. Do you blame Max for being apprehensive about letting Jughead into their world? There have been moments throughout the Season that Jughead had his own personal agenda. But it's safe to say that Max sees Jughead as her Serpent equal.**  
 **Also, quick shoutout to Max and Fangs! Just seeing their reunion just warms my heart. It's clear that they are very close, a lot closer than I've shown in this story.**  
 **Also, Max/Toni. It's good to see my girls back on the same page! It's rare to see Max have moments of vulnerability, but she does, it gives people around her strong moments of clarity. What do you guys think of Max's explaination as to why she was so dead set against Toni's relationship with Cheryl. It's been referenced over the course of the story that Max does have abandonment issues. So I get where she was coming from.  
Finally, Max and Nathaniel. What do you think of their interaction at the end? It's clear that Hiram's actions have set Max and Nathaniel's relationship back. Do you guys think there is any hope for them moving forward?  
Overall what do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review!**


	33. We Rise Up

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope you guys are having a great day, a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend! Stay safe and have fun! I won't be able to update for a few days cause I'm going on a roadtrip with my family. We're going "wherever the road takes us" my brother puts it. So I wanted to give you guys one update! After this, I'm gonna put one more chapter up and the story will take a bit of a break until Season 3 comes! So be on the lookout for that.  
** **I don't have much to update you guys on other than thank you for the favs/follows! Don't be afraid to review because I love talking to you guys! In this chapter, Max and Jughead take the helm in ensuring that the Serpents have a chance to live on with an assist from Archie and Cheryl.  
Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **..** **.**

" _You know the only good thing about being at rock bottom_?  
 _Is that we can only go up from here_..."

Chapter XXXI. We Rise Up...

Later that night, Max was walking to the Jones' trailer. After her home was destroyed, Max didn't have too many options left. Max didn't want to think that all of this was over. She didn't want it to be all over. Max was going to fight to bitter end.

Knocking on the door, Jughead opened the door. "Hey..." Jughead sighed.

"Hey, how you holding up?" Max asked, walking inside.

"I'm feeling like crap, honestly" Jughead plopped down in his seat.

"What did your dad say? Please tell me he has a plan..."

"His plan is getting me and him out of Riverdale" Jughead hid his face in his hand. "Up to Toledo with my mom and Jellybean."

"You're leaving? You're leaving us?" Max looked at him, incredulously. Max had a hard time believing that Jughead was just going to leave, especially after the sacrifice he made.

"My dad can leave, I'm not going anywhere" Jughead stated matter-of-factly. "I'm not going to abandon the Serpents."

Hearing him say that filled Max with relief and pride. "I'm sorry..." Max admitted.

"Sorry for what?" Jughead looked at her.

"Sorry for saying you're not a Serpent..." Max swallowed her pride. It was clear that Jughead had as much Serpent heart as her, maybe even more. But Max wasn't going to go that far. "What you did, what you did for us, it meant a lot."

"It was nothing..."

"It was _everything_ , Jughead" Max stood up. "I always thought that you just pushed you're way into our world. That we didn't mean anything to you. All you cared about was your battles and the Serpents were your soldiers. I was wrong. You've earned the right to call yourself a Serpent. Our world is your world..."

"Thanks Max..." Jughead smiled. For as long as he could remember, Jughead had went to the ends of the Earth to gain Max's respect. She went out of her way to make him feel like he wasn't part of this world. She was weary of him for good reasons. While Jughead was a part of the Serpents, his heart wasn't completely all in. But his actions and willingness put his life on the life for them, has given Jughead the respect he deserves.

"Is this where we hug?" Max joked.

"I'm good Max" Jughead chuckled as they bumped fists, as a sign of mutual respect.

As the two Serpents relaxed, there were knocks at Jughead's trailer. Assuming it was opposition, Max flicked out her pocket knife. The Serpents have made plenty of enemies that weren't going to go away quietly.

"I got it" Jughead calmed her down, as we went to answer the door. It was Archie. "Arch, you scared me man."

"My bad" Archie put his hands up in defense. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Nah, we were just recapping" Max sat on Jughead's counter.

"What's up?" Jughead asked.

"I was just at the Sheriff's Station and Minetta told me they had caught the Black Hood. It was Tall Boy..." Archie revealed. "But before he could bring him in, he mysteriously died in a fire fight."

"You're kidding..." Max looked at him. "That traitor..." Max wasn't surprised that Tall Boy was a part of this. Tall Boy was too set in his ways. She had a feeling in her gut that he wasn't going to go away quietly.

"Of course it's Tall Boy. I'm such an idiot" Jughead sighed.

"You think what Minetta said was true? That Tall Boy was the second Black Hood?" Archie asked the two Serpents.

"I wouldn't put it past him. He's done Lodge's dirty work before" Max hit the counter.

"Yeah, he confessed to it" Jughead agreed. "Which now that I think about it, explains why he died suddenly in a fire fight."

"So he can't implicate Hiram. There's no loose ends, he gets off scot free" Max connected the dots.

"And now Sheriff Minetta can say the case of the copy cat Black Hood is closed..." Archie breathed out.

"Hiram's gonna get away with it, he's gonna get away with all of it..." Jughead leaned his head back on his evidence board.

"I know what we need..." Max hopped off the kitchen counter and went straight to Jughead's freezer. "Ice cream..."

"Seriously?" Archie raised an eyebrow.

"Why not" Max shrugged her shoulders as Archie and Jughead got the toppings out the cupboards.

"And on top of everything else, my dad; whose drinking again wants us to move to Toledo..." Jughead huffed as he put sprinkles on his sundae. "Just in time too. Cause Weatherbee wants to kick all the Southsiders out of Riverdale High..."

As they ate, Jughead's door burst open. It was Cheryl Blossom.

"Cheryl?" Jughead raised an eyebrow at her.

"Zip it and listen. We have to get to the Whyte Wyrm ASAP. I've already called Toni to give her the heads up..." Cheryl cut him off.

"What's going on?" Max asked her.

"My mumsie warned me that Hiram Lodge's cyborg Sheriff is raiding your precious bar tonight. And if things turn violent and some Serpents end up shot, well so much the better" Cheryl informed them. "Let's go!"

The four of them made a beeline to the Whyte Wyrm to inform the remaining Serpents of the impending danger. As the four of came in, Cheryl ran straight into Toni's arms while Max ran to Sweet Pea.

"Thank god you're okay" Max said into his chest.

"Toni told us..." Sweet Pea kissed the top of her head.

"Take only what you absolutely need and what you can carry with you..." Jughead informed the Serpents. "We need to move quickly and quietly. Sheriff Minetta's forces are all over the Southside and they're looking for our blood. If we want our skulls to be uncracked we have to go undetected."

"And go where? There's nowhere safe..." Sweet Pea asked.

"We've been offered asylum on the Northside..." Max looked at Archie, who opened his home to the remaining Serpents. "We can stay there until the heat dies down..."

Understanding the plan, the Serpents packed what they could carry before leaving the last place they could call their own. With the heat on them, the Serpents had to run. The Southside was no longer their own.

As the last of the Serpents left the Southside, patrol cars were riding around the immediate area. Noticing a patrol car, Jughead stopped the Serpents, making them hide behind a dumpster. Once the patrol car passed, the Serpents made their way to the train tracks that separate the Northside and Southside. While the rest of the Serpents crossed the train tracks, Jughead and Max were apprehensive to leave their home behind.

"Come on guys..." Archie urged them.

Nodding their heads, Max and Jughead followed the rest of the Serpents to the Northside. Once they were safe, everyone headed the Andrews' household.

Opening the door, Fred Andrews was surprised to see his son with a bunch of Southside Serpents. "Dad, we need help..." Archie looked to his father with pleading eyes.

 **...**

The next morning, Fred, Archie, Jughead, and Max were making breakfast for the dozens of hungry mouths. While the guys were making breakfast, Max was making a coffee run. As she was approaching the Andrews' house, Max saw Cheryl eating some breakfast, presumably waiting for Toni.

"Toni told me you love English Breakfast..." Max handed Cheryl a cup of tea.

"Thank you" Cheryl smiled.

"I should be thanking you. I don't know if I could repay for everything you've done. For me, for Toni, for all of us..." Max smiled at all the Serpents.

"You guys are Toni's world, it was the least I could do. To make up for the ill things I've done to you and the Serpents in the past" Cheryl apologized. It was clear that Toni had brought out the best in Cheryl. Toni and her friendship has allowed Cheryl to push herself to be the best she could be.

"There are going to be times where I don't know if I could protect Toni, can I count on you to protect her?" Max entrusted her best friend to Cheryl.

"With everything I have..." Cheryl reassured her. Hearing those words took a huge weight off Max's shoulders. Smiling, Max wrapped an arm around Cheryl's shoulder and brought her into a hug. Relaxing into the hug, Cheryl returned it. For as long as she could remember, Cheryl was alone. While she had a family, she didn't feel loved or accepted. With Toni and Serpents, Cheryl felt like she could be her best self. That there were people that would always be looking out for her.

As they hugged, Toni came out with her breakfast. It warmed her heart to see the two people she cared about, be on the same page. Separating from the hug, Max gave Cheryl one last smile before going into the house to deliver the coffee orders.

"Coffee orders on deck!" Max announced as she put the coffee trays on the table for everyone to get.

"Alright two dots and a dash..." Fred handed off a plate. "Two chicks on a raft here, Jug" Fred handed off two plates of food to be delivered. "And there's a stack of Vermont hots..." Archie handed off a stack of pancakes to some other Serpents. The three of them looked at Fred, surprised. "Oh yeah, I worked at Pops for a Summer."

Smiling, Max handed Jughead and Archie coffees.

"What's going on here?" FP walked into the Andrews' home, to see a bunch of Serpents eating breakfast.

"You two do all this?" FP pointed to Max and Jughead.

"With a little assist from Red" Max nudged Archie.

"Toledo's gonna have to wait" Jughead looked at his father.

"Jug's right, you guys can't leave. Not right now and not like this..." Max pleaded to FP.

"You're right. Bulldogs helping Serpents, Freddie Andrews openin' his house to a bunch of snakes, there goes the rest of your Northside vote buddy" FP joked with his longtime friend.

"We're all neighbors here" Fred smiled. "Bacon!" Fred went to go deliver some more food.

Holding a plate and a cup of coffee for FP, Max handed him some breakfast. Smiling, FP kissed the top of her head before going to check on the rest of the Serpents.

"Hey, thank you. You came through for me" Jughead thanked his friend for his help.

"For all of us" Max smiled. "Maybe you're not so bad, Red."

"I'm not done yet..." Archie looked at the Serpents in his home. "How many of these Serpents jackets you think I can borrow?"

Max and Jughead exchanged some confused looks. "We can throw something together, why?" Max asked.

 **...**

Later that day, several of the Riverdale High students were marching into school clad in Southside Serpents jackets. The students were ready to stand together. No one should be denied the opportunity to get a good education, no matter where they're from.

Coming out from the office, Principal Weatherbee was surprised at what he was seeing. "What's the meaning of this?" he asked.

"It's a show of support, sir" Archie spoke out. "For the Southsiders that are being wrongly transferred out of our school. Everyone's ready to walk out, Principal Weatherbee."

"Any student who walks out, better keep walking. Cause they'll be expelled..." Weatherbee threatened.

"You're a good man, Principal Weatherbee. You're not the kind of person who discriminates. And if you are, then expel me because I don't want to be a part of that." Archie has let the hate taint his heart and cloud his judgement for far too long. He doesn't want Riverdale High or his town to be run on that.

"Everyone get to class" Weatherbee relented. Weatherbee wanted to create an atmosphere where all students could thrive collectively. But the students couldn't do that if the the Principal was actively discriminating against a select group of students. Letting out a collective sigh, several of the Southside High Students were happy they could still go to school here.

"I'm so relieved" Max smiled at Sweet Pea.

"You can say that again, I'll see you after class" Sweet Pea kissed the top of her head before going to class.

"That was brilliant" Max jogged up to Jughead.

"You can thank Archie" Jughead smirked as Veronica scurried up to them. "Guys, come here..." Veronica brought Max and Jughead into the student lounge.

"What's going on?" Max asked her.

"I have insider information, that my father is making a play to buy the Whyte Wyrm" Veronica revealed.

"You can't be serious. He already stole half of the Southside from us already" Max rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't surprise me, he already fired my dad from Pops" Jughead revealed.

"What?" Max turned to him. That job was what kept FP on the straight and narrow. Without it, FP would be victim into falling into bad habits.

"He did that?" Veronica looked on, hurt and disgusted by her father's actions.

"Yeah, I won't be eating there anymore" Jughead spit out.

"Wait, I was going to make a play to buy Wyrm in order to torpedo daddy's monopolizing of the Southside but now I'm thinking there's a better smaller play here" Veronica smirked.

"What do you have in mind?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"If you guys trust me and we move fast..."

"What choice do we have..." Jughead chuckled.

 **...**

Later that day, several of Riverdale residents were at the Town Hall casting their votes for Mayor.

"Remind me why we're here again?" Sweet Pea joked as he and Max stood in line to vote.

"Because there's someone that actually gives a damn about us..." Max looked back at Fred. As they approached the front of the line, Max took her ballot to cast her vote.

After the election, several of the students were together in the student lounge, anxious to hear who won the Riverdale High elections.

" _Attention, Riverdale High students. The results of your student council election are in_..." Principal Weatherbee announced over the intercom, making the students stand up. " _Your new student council president is_... _Archie Andrews_." The students cheered. " _In unrelated news_ , _for the foreseeable future all former Southside High students will remain at Riverdale High_. _That is all_..." All the Riverdale High Students were ecstatic. A lot of the Northside students were more than willing to let the Southside students stay.

Smiling from ear to ear, Sweet Pea picked up Max and spun her around.

"We're here to stay..." Max smiled as she nuzzled her nose to his.

As they celebrated, Jughead was off in the corner, smiling. As he watched Max and Sweet Pea along with Toni and Cheryl, his heart swelled. The Serpents finally had a place they could call her own.

 **...**

After school, the remaining Serpents were in the quarry. Despite everything that happened, the Serpents had made it through together. They might have been beaten down, but they were not broken.

Max was sitting on the hood of her Camaro with Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Jughead while Toni was introducing Cheryl to the rest of the Serpents. As everyone enjoyed, FP walked out in front of the Serpents.

"Listen up now! Alright, listen up!" FP got everyone's attention. "Some 60 years ago, the very first Serpent meeting took place on these same riverbanks. It makes sense that this is where we gather now. Where I... where I say my goodbye. Jughead would you step up here son..." FP called for Jughead to join him.

"Go..." Max whispered, urging Jughead to join his father.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Jughead whispered.

"What I should've done a long time ago..." FP patted his shoulder.

"I'm retiring from the Serpents, for real this time" FP announced as everyone looked at each other, confused. FP's entire life was with the Serpents, it must have been a difficult decision for him to walk away. While Max was saddened, she was at peace with his choice. It was time that FP do some things for himself. "Whoa, whoa..." FP calmed everyone down. "My boy, my boy has never stopped fighting for this crew. Hell he almost died for it. That's why I'm giving you the mantle..."

The Serpents cheered, ready and willing to support Jughead. While Max hoped that one day she could lead the Serpents, she was all for Jughead leading them. She has seen what he was willing to do for them. He embodied what it meant to be a Serpent. She was ready to follow him into battle when he needed her.

As Jughead looked out at everyone, his eyes landed on Max.

"Actually dad, it's shouldn't just be me..." Jughead turned to his father. "There's someone that should be up here with me, leading all of us. She cares about this crew just as much as I do, if not more. She embodies what it means to be a Serpent. She's always fought for us, and it's only right that we lead this crew... together" Jughead turned to Max. "Max, let's do this..."

Max turned to Fangs and Sweet Pea, both of who urge her to join Jughead up front. Max has been ride or die with the Serpents since day one, it was only a matter of time she become leader. Standing up, Max was met with raucous applause as she walked up to the stage.

"Jug, are you sure about this?" Max asked him.

"I've never been more sure of anything..." Jughead shook her shoulder.

"Your pops would've been proud..." FP smiled at her on board with Jughead's decision. Looking at Jughead and Max, it was looking in a mirror. Seeing them took him back in time when FP and Jake became leaders of the Serpents. It was clear that FP was leaving the Serpents in good hands. "Now as your first official duty as Serpent King and Serpent Queen..." Toni walked up to the stage, handing FP a bright red Serpent jacket. "I think you guys know what to do with this, take it..."

Jughead and Max took the jacket as FP walked off the stage, receiving one last applause as Serpent King.

"Alright, alright" Jughead settled everyone down. "All I can say is, I love you dad..."

"We'll do you proud, FP" Max smiled as she held the Serpent jacket in her hands.

"The Serpents will not die out, not on our watch" Jughead exclaimed, earning a cheer in response.

Turning to redheaded bombshell, Cheryl took off the jacket she was wearing and handed it to Toni. Cheryl was more than willing to be a part of this world, to finally have a family. Walking onto the stage, Max put the jacket on Cheryl's shoulders, fully welcoming her into their world. That moment made Toni look on with pride.

Exchanging one last look, Max and Jughead put their Serpent fangs up earning a cheer from the Serpents. FP looked on with pride. He knows he's leaving the family in good hands. He could walk away knowing that Jughead and Max will do everything in their power to protect the Serpents.

In the darkness, came light. This is the beginning of a new day for the Southside Serpents...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **I think the ending was fitting.  
** **I think the transformation Max has made from the beginning to the end has been night and day. Her growth has been phenomenal and a lot of that has been because of Jughead. What do you guys make of Max's growth.  
Also, what do you guys make of her interactions throughout the chapter? She's allowing herself to depend on people now, rather than letting herself deal with everything on her own.  
Overall, what do you think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
Please Read&Review**


	34. A Brand New Story

**Author's** **Note:** **I hope you guys had a fantastic day! I recently came back from a road trip with my family and it was absolutely amazing. We went to Seattle, Portland, Wyoming, Utah, as well as North/South Dakota. We went to so many places it was ridiculous but it was so much fun. It was fun to spend so much time with my family, but I wanted to get an update out for you guys.**  
 **I don't have much to update you guys on other than thank you for the favs/follows! Don't be afraid to review because I love talking to you guys! I'm hoping we can end at a 100 reviews cause we're so close! In this chapter, Max heads to San Junipero to go see Rafe but the reunion doesn't go as expected. Also, Hiram is stirring the pot and Archie is caught in the cross fire.  
Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

 **...**

" _You have to take the good with the bad..."_

 **...**

Chapter XXXIII. A Brand New Story

It was early morning, the sun was barely rising. Max and Sweet Pea were on a bus, making a quick trip before heading to school. Max laid her head on Sweet Pea's shoulder as she stared out of the window. Riverdale was still reeling from the riots as well as the aftermath of the recent election.

In the middle of this was Max...

While Max was ecstatic and ready to lead the Serpents alongside Jughead, the Serpents still had a lot of damage control to do. Sunnyside Trailer Park was still destroyed, leaving many of the Serpents without homes, including Max. Penny Peabody was still breathing and had an army of Ghoulies behind her. And masterminding all of it, was Hiram Lodge. With everything going on, Max was not comfortable bringing Rafe back to Riverdale. The Serpents might have survived the battle, but they still had a war to fight. She wasn't going to put his life in danger because of the world she chose to be a part of.

"What'cha thinking?" Sweet Pea glanced down at her.

"How he's doing..." Max sighed, referring to Rafe. "If he hates me for leaving him..."

"Rafe could never hate you, you were trying to keep him safe. He wasn't safe in Riverdale" Sweet Pea explained.

"If he only understood..." Max sighed.

"Hey..." Sweet Pea tilted her chin up. "He will. You should be happy, you're the Queen now..."

"Queen Serpent, I like the sound of it" Max chuckled. For as long as she could remember, Max has dreamed of one day leading the Serpents. She has heard stories of Jake and how he was as a leader. From her late father to seeing FP's dedication to them, Max and Jughead had big shoes to fill.

"I wanted this, I really did" Max breathed out. "You think I could be as good as him? As good a leader as my pops?" Max asked.

"I think you'll be the leader you can be. You get to decide what kind of leader you wanna be" Sweet Pea cupped her cheek. Sweet Pea has seen first hand Max's dedication to the Serpents. He knows and has faith that she will be the leader the Serpents need.

Leaning into his cheek, Max kissed the inside of his palm as the bus came to a stop.

"First stop, San Junipero!" the bus driver exclaimed.

Getting up, Max and Sweet Pea got off the bus and took in the brand-new city. "Do you know where they live?" Sweet Pea asked her.

"Joaquin just texted me the address" Max looked at her phone as she stopped a cab.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked.

"Meridian Apartment Complex" Max informed him.

It was a short drive a small apartment complex in Downtown San Junipero. Getting out, the two Serpents looked up at the tall building. "You ready?" Sweet Pea asked her.

"I'm scared..." Max admitted. With all that happened, Sweet Pea was surprised to see Max be vulnerable with her feelings. But if Max wanted to be better, she had to be open with what was on her mind. She refused to suffer on her own anymore.

"I got you..." Sweet Pea took her hand as they walked inside. When they approached the lobby, Joaquin was already there waiting for them.

"Welcome to my borough" Joaquin greeted his fellow Serpents.

"How you been man?" Sweet Pea greeted him.

"Good, good" Joaquin smiled. "I heard, how you feelin Queenie?"

"As good as I can be" Max bitterly smiled. "How is he?"

"He's eating breakfast right now. You ready?"

"Let's do this..." Max took in a deep breath.

Joaquin lead the two of them up to his apartment. As he unlocked the door, Max was trying to keep her composure. It has been a few days since riot night, and Max has had very little contact with her brother. She didn't know what to expect. But right now, Max was thinking about every worse scenario.

"Hey, Rafe. Someone's here to see you..." Joaquin said, walking into the apartment first.

"Who?" Rafe looked up.

Stepping out of the way, Max walked out from behind Joaquin. "Max..." Rafe whispered.

"How have you been, little man?" Max smiled through her tears.

Without saying a word, Rafe ran into Max's arm, hoping this wasn't his mind playing tricks on him. Being apart from each other has been very difficult for both of them. "How have you been?" Max cupped his cheeks. Max was so relieved to see that Rafe was breathing and taken care of.

"I've been good, Joaquin's been taking care of me" Rafe smiled.

"Good..."

"Does it mean I can come home?" Rafe asked the million dollar question. While Rafe like San Junipero, it wasn't home. Riverdale was home.

Max looked back at Sweet Pea and Joaquin. There was still a lot going on in Riverdale right now. She wasn't sure if Rafe should come home right now. They didn't even have a home to go home to. "Ummm, not right now..." Max sighed.

"Why?" Rafe whined.

"It's complicated. I have a lot of things to take care of first." Max breathed out. "I can't tell you, not right now."

"Why not?!" Rafe shouted, making Max shrink back. She hadn't seen this out of Rafe before. He was always a good kid that always listened to her.

"Rafe..."

"I don't wanna stay here, I wanna go home with you..." Rafe begged. "Please..."

"Rafe, I can't..."

Ripping his hands out Max's, Rafe backed up. "If you're not here to bring me home, then just go..."

"Rafe, I'm just trying to protect you" Max whispered.

"I don't need protecting. You promised!" Rafe glared at her. For as long as he could remember, Rafe knows that Max always kept her word.

"I know..."

"Go..."

"Rafe, please..."

"Leave..." Rafe glared at her before, walking out of the room. This left Max destroyed. Rafe was her world, everything she did was for him. She wanted to do everything in her power to make Rafe stay. Him walking away from her was a blow to her.

Sitting on her knees, Max let out a few shaky breaths to stop the tears from flowing out of her. But she was failing miserably.

"You okay?" Sweet Pea crouched down next to her.

Without saying a word, Max wrapped her arms around Sweet Pea as she cried into his chest.

 **...**

It was a short drive back to Riverdale High. After what happened between her and Rafe, Max had to keep her mind occupied.

"You good?" Sweet Pea asked Max again as he parked his bike.

"You know, you've asked me that like a million times already" Max joked with a bittersweet smile. "Does it hurt? It felt like I was shot in the heart, but we'll bounce back. We always do. I'm _going_ to fight for him. I'm not gonna let him go, I won't..." Max looked up to see Toni, Fangs, and Cheryl waiting for them. Max was not going to feel sorry for herself. Max was going to fight for Rafe.

"That's what I wanna hear" Sweet Pea kissed her temple. Max was a fighter. She doesn't give up on the people she loves.

"You ready to take over the world?" Max asked her friends.

"You know it" Toni smirked at her.

"How does it feel to be back from the dead?" Max joked with Fangs.

"Feels good" Fangs smirked as they walked inside. With her army behind her, Max was able to hold her head up high.

Today, Archie was going to be inaugurated into his student council office. He was determined to make Riverdale High great for everyone. Walking into the gym, the four of them looked up to see Jughead standing with Betty and Veronica, ready to show support for their friend. Winking at her right-hand, Max along with Sweet Pea, Fangs, Toni,, and Cheryl walked up the bleachers.

As she stood there with her friends, Max thought back to her first day at Riverdale High. She felt like there was a target on her back. She refused to let go of her roots to the Southside. But after everything she and the Serpents had been through, it made her happy that they had finally found a new home.

As Max looked down at Archie, it was clear that he gave a damn about them. She respects that. "Never thought I'd see you smiling at a Northsider" Toni joked. "You better watch out, Sweet Pea."

"Shut it, Topaz" Sweet Pea chuckled.

"No, it's just... it's just crazy how things have changed" Max breathed out as the River Vixens came out and performed a routine. When Max first came her, she had a chip on her shoulder. She felt like she had something to prove because of where she came from. But looking at where she is now, Max felt like she was way better than when she first walked through the doors of Riverdale High. Max took things one step at a time. She had to take the bad with the good.

Once they were finished, Principal Weatherbee walked up onto the podium. "Students, faculty, and staff, before we inaugurate Archie Andrews as our new student council president, please ride for our national anthem."

Everyone rose, placing their right hands on their hearts as Josie went to perform the _Star Spangled Banner_. As she sang, Max glanced around the gym and noticed a familiar figure. Rubbing her eyes, Max looked again to see none other than Hiram Lodge hiding in the shadows.

"What the..." Max whispered before the gym doors burst open. It was Sheriff Minetta. Suddenly it felt like time had slowed down. Everyone started looking at each other, trying to figure out what was going on.

The police went right up to Archie and cuffed him. "Sheriff Minetta, what are you doing?"

"Archie Andrews, you're under arrest for the murder of Shadow Lake resident, Cassidy Bullick..."

"What?" Archie couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I didn't kill him-"

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?" Sheriff Minetta read Archie his rights. But as he talked, his voice started to fade out as Archie tried to figure out what was happening.

As the Minetta dragged Archie out in front of his peers, Archie looked over his shoulder to see Hiram Lodge with a victorious smirk on his face.

 **...**

Meanwhile, Nathaniel was walking out of his office for his lunchtime meeting. Once he was gone, Olivia used her master key and snuck into his office.

Over the past few weeks, Nathaniel has been completely distant from her. It was clear that Max and Rafe had caused a divide between Nathaniel and Olivia. While he was adamant on creating a relationship with his grandchildren, Olivia felt different. When she looked at the two kids, all she saw was Miranda along with the disappointment and shame she brought to their family.

As Olivia went through Nathaniel's desk, she noticed a frame picture of Miranda from her cotillion ball when she was 16.

"You were always a disappointment..." Olivia sneered at her late daughter before tossing the photo in the trash. Olivia was determined to figure out what her husband was up to. It was clear that Nathaniel was hiding something. She didn't want to believe that her husband was going to go against her. He didn't have the guts to do that.

Ruffling through his drawers, Olivia found a file hidden underneath some paperwork. Opening the file, Olivia had discovered Nathaniel's revised will.

"Oh no..." Olivia felt like ice was dropped down her back. Pulling out her phone, Olivia quickly called Hiram. "Hiram, we have a problem..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well, I wanna say all's well that ends well, but this is Riverdale hahaha. There is a bit to unpack here.  
** **First, Rafe/Max. Shoutout to megan for giving me the idea of incorporating more of Rafe and how he feels throughout all of this. As much as I wanted their reunion to be warm and fuzzy, it wouldn't be very realistic. Do you think Rafe's anger towards Max is warranted? Or do you think he was overreacting? In Max's defense, the war is far from over and I get her not wanting to bring Rafe back to Riverdale right away.  
** **Next, Hiram. It's clear that he views Archie as a threat. Having him arrested would neutralize the threat. But I refuse to think Archie isn't going down without a fight.  
Finally, it seems Olivia had found Nathaniel's revised will that basicially gives the company and a good amount of money to Max and Rafe. It's clear that Olivia, Hiram, and his cronies have a new enemy. I feel like Max is the perfect opposition against them. Not only does she have the underground connections in the Serpents, but now the money and the resources to fight back. Thoughts?  
Overall, what do you guys think of the chapter? Yay? Nay? Any/all feedback is welcome!  
** **Everything that just happened really sets things up for Season 3. Obviously now that Season 2 ended and Season 3 won't start for awhile, this story is gonna take a bit of break. But when the new season starts up, expect new chapters, new storylines, and two new characters, coming your guys way! Thank you so much for the support! I didn't expect the response for this story to be as big as it was. Thank you guys so much, it truly does mean a lot to me :)  
** **Please Read &Review!**


	35. Bubble of Peace

**Author's Note:** **Long time no see!  
** **I know that it's been a minute but I've seriously missed you guys. There is a little bit I want to fill you guys in on.  
** **I know Riverdale Season 3 has premiered already and I've watched it a bit and honestly I'm not crazy inspired by it. I know you guys are gonna kill me for saying that but that's how I feel. Even though we are only a few episodes in, it's just all over the place. It's so crazy and I honestly don't know how I feel about it but I'm trying to not give up on it. Lemme know how you guys feel about S3 so far! Love it? Hate it? Let me know!  
Also, since the premiere of S3 is pretty long, I decided to break it up into two parts instead of have one super long chapter. This will allow me to really get into detail about everything that's going on.  
** **In this update, Summer is quickly coming to and end and there are 10 million things on Max's plate. Not only does she have new responsibilities as co-leader of the Serpents, but there is a quelling threat that will put everything she loves at risk.  
** **Enjoy!  
** **DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAX LOGAN, HER FAMILY, MY STORYLINES, AND ANYTHING YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!  
** **...**

"I _can ignore the noise that's going on around me, as long as I'm with you_..."

 **...**

Chapter XXXIV. Bubble of Peace

The sun was peeking up as Sweet Pea tossed around in his bed to notice that he was sleeping alone. He remembers last night very clearly and he knows he didn't go to bed alone. Groggy and confused, he sat up and noticed that his girlfriend wasn't in bed with him. Throwing on some sweats, Sweet Pea got up and went to his window, seeing Max fixing up a motorcycle that she has been working on.

Since Riot Night, Sweet Pea and Max have been hopping from couch to couch until they could scrounge together a permanent living arrangement. They didn't really stay in the same place for any longer than two nights. While Max had a place in the Jones home, she didn't feel comfortable leaving Sweet Pea on his own. They needed to be together, now more than ever.

"You're up early" Sweet Pea kissed her shoulder as Max worked on the engine.

"I promised Morrison I would have his bike fixed up by today" Max turned her wrench. "Can you give her some gas..." Getting on the bike, Sweet Pea turned the throttle, making the bike turn on like it was brand-new.

"Purring like she's new" Sweet Pea smirked.

"He said he'd pay me double for it" Max winked. For some extra cash, Max has been fixing up cars and bikes.

While this past Summer, Max was enjoying honeymoon bliss with Sweet Pea, she also had a bunch of things on her plate. Not only did she have to scrounge together money for a new living arrangement, but she had Rafe on her mind. She also had a new set of responsibilities given that she was now a leader of the Serpents.

"You still saving up?"

"Yeah and I still don't have nearly enough" Max sighed, running her fingers through her lilac hair.

"Look, as much as I hate his guts, maybe you're grandfather..." As much as he enjoys couch hopping with her, Sweet Pea wants more for Max. He wants her to have a home, for her to be safe.

"Not a chance" Max cut him off. "He's been calling me all summer and he still hasn't gotten the hint. He feels sorry for me and the old hag hates me. I don't want any part of them. Especially if they had anything to do with this..." Max referred to the demolition of Sunnyside Trailer Park and the chaos that has ravaged the Southside.

"You need a house, a place to live. Especially if you wanna bring Rafe home" Sweet Pea surprisingly became the voice of reason. He hated seeing her struggle like this. "He answering any of your calls?"

"He's still ghosting me..." Max kicked a nearby trash can. Since her trip up to San Junipero, Max was trying to salvage her relationship with her younger brother. All Rafe wanted was the truth and that was the one thing Max was afraid to give him. While she felt that keeping him in the dark kept him safe, Rafe knows a lot more than Max wants to let herself believe. "If I could only tell him the truth."

"Nothing is stopping you..."

"Can we not talk about this anymore?" Max pleaded to her boyfriend, walking up to him. "I need a distraction..." Max purred, running her finger along his Serpent tattoo on his neck. Smiling, Sweet Pea threw Max over his shoulder and brought her back inside.

As they engaged in another intimate moment, Max felt her heart swell. Through the trials and tribulations, Max was able to count on Sweet Pea to be that rock for her. He became her rock, her pillar. She had a hard time believing that people would be there for her. But Max took a chance on Sweet Pea and he didn't let her down.

After another round of passionate lovemaking, Max and Sweet Pea laid on air mattress, wrapped up in each other's arms.

"What time do you have to be at the courtroom?" Sweet Pea asked her. On top of all the other issues that she was dealing with, Max also had to be there for Jughead; who is reeling over the arrest and trial of his best friend: Archie Andrews. While Max was personally invested in this, there was no denying she had some respect towards the Northsider. She saw that he was willing to fight for the Serpents, so the least she could do was be there for him.

"In about an hour, hopefully Red doesn't have to get locked up" Max breathed out. "He doesn't deserve it, especially for the crook: Hiram Lodge."

"You don't have to tell me twice" Sweet Pea chuckled. "Have you heard from Toni?"

"I mean, I texted her but she hasn't texted back" Max breathed out. Toni's new relationship with Cheryl was also an adjustment for Max. She wasn't used to sharing her best friend with someone else. "Is it bad that I'm still weirded out over this?"

"You're not only one. She was the one that wanted us out, now she's one of us" Sweet Pea bitterly chuckled.

"It's crazy how life works" Max smiled. "Toni told me they're coming back today. Cheryl wants to throw a pool party at Thornhill. She's inviting everyone. We should go..."

"You wanna go to a pool party?" Sweet Pea looked at Max, almost surprised.

"Look, I just want to have fun. I want us to enjoy our bubble of peace before it bursts" Max leaned on Sweet Pea's chest, smiling at him. "Let's go..." With everything going on, all Max wants is to be happy with the people she cares about.

"Looks like we're going..." Sweet Pea kissed between her eyes. "How much time do we have left?" Smiling, Sweet Pea tackled Max as they prepared for round three. In that moment with Sweet Pea, there were the moments of happiness that Max has known.

After another distraction, Max and Sweet Pea finally made their way over to Riverdale Courthouse for Archie's trial. Sitting in a packed courtroom with very little air conditioning, Max was hoping for the jury to reach a verdict. She doesn't know how many more times she could come here without physically melting.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the evidence and testimony that was presented in this court tell a dark story..." the prosecution made her way over to Archie. "That Mr. Andrews has a history of violent behavior. That he started not one but two masked vigilante groups. That he assaulted an innocent boy who was helpless with two broken legs. That he went wilding in the Southside of town and threatened to shoot a young woman in the face..." Hearing that statement made Max roll her eyes in disdain. While she may not be a saint, Archie was way better than her and didn't deserve to have his reputation desecrated the way it's being. "That while partying with his friends in the town of Shadow Lake, Mr. Andrews ran into the woods and shot the victim, Cassidy Bullock, point blank in the head. Now Mr. Andrews claims that it was his girlfriend's father's doorman who shot Mr. Bullock. A shot Mr. Andrews claims to have heard, but not seen. Who knows the truth of what happened that terrible night in the woods near Shadow Lake? I'll tell you who... that man. Archie Andrews may be a varsity athlete and he may be a sensitive musician, but he is also a cold-blooded killer."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we know for a fact, that Archie Andrews constantly puts the needs of others ahead of his own. We know he helped solve the murder of Jason Blossom. We know that he offered both friends and enemies shelter when they had nowhere else to stay. We know that he punched through a river of ice to save the life of his classmate Cheryl Blossom. Let me remind you that there were no witnesses to the actual killing. There was no murder weapon, there was no motive. At the end of the day, all the prosecution has is cloudy testimony from unreliable people. Now it is my solemn duty as a mother to protect my son. But as an attorney, it is my duty to adhere to the facts, to the evidence. There is nothing here that proves that Archie Andrews is anything less than an innocent boy. Thank you..." Mary Andrews sat back down next to her son.

"Thanks mom..." Archie whispered.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the charge is first-degree murder. You may retire to begin your deliberations..." The judge banged his gavel.

"All rise..." the Bailiff exclaimed.

After hearing the arguments, Max and Sweet Pea were bumming it outside as they waited to hear the final verdict.

"You think he's gonna get locked up?" Sweet Pea asked, chugging down his water.

"Hopefully not. He doesn't deserve to get locked up" Max took a long drag of her cigarette. This summer was also a fight for Max to kick her cigarette habit. "Especially not for that crook..." As they stood out there, they were joined by Nathaniel Hart.

"Why are you here?" Max didn't even bother making eye contact with her grandfather. That was how little she felt about him.

"Figured I would show my support for your friend..."

"More like being here for Hiram..." Max took another drag. "You're not fooling anyone and you're sure as hell not fooling me."

"I'll make this up to you" Nathaniel said before walking back inside.

"Like hell he will" Max scoffed. "Have you guys found him?"

"Not yet, we're still looking around" Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Where did that dog go..." Max muttered to herself as she threw her cigarette butt onto the ground and stepped on it with her foot. After Riot Nights, Hot Dog; the Serpent's spirit animal disappeared. Searching high and low, the Serpents could not find him. Max was starting to get worried and she couldn't help but think something bad was happening with him.

"Guys, it's time..." Jughead told his fellow Serpents.

Walking back inside, everyone went back in their seats so they can hear the final verdict.

"The jury is still deliberating. But I've dismissed them. They're sequestered and I've instructed them not to read anything about this case, nor to discuss it with anyone. We'll reconvene Tuesday morning after Labor Day" the judge revealed. "My advice to you, young man, is to spend this weekend with your family and your loved ones. That's all..."

 **...**

After a long day in court, Max quickly changed into something more comfortable. Changing into some acid wash high waisted shorts, black crop cami top with a square neckline, and her black heeled combat boots. With her lilac hair up in a messy bun with her black bandana on, Max also had her red plaid flannel around her waist.

Once she changed, Max along with Sweet Pea headed to the Serpent camp. Now that Sunnyside was nonexistent and they no longer had control over the Whyte Wyrm, the Serpents have been squatting out near the riverbed. That was the only place they had left. With makeshift tents and very little supplies, the Serpents were getting by day by day.

"You hear anything?" Jughead asked as he and Fangs approached her and Sweet Pea.

"Not yet, but we still have some people looking around" Max informed him.

"We know that Hiram Lodge has taken over the Southside, cause he's been colluding with the Ghoulies. And we need to know what he's up to exactly. Alright Fangs, you're up. I need you to find the Ghoulies new lair, okay?" Jughead turned to him. "If you see them, don't engage with them. This is just a recon mission. We can't be risking another gang war. We just need a confirmation of whatever Hiram's up to it has nothing to do with the Serpents or Riverdale High..."

"Will do..."

"Keep your blade in your boot. First sign of trouble, you're out of there" Max put a hand on Fangs' shoulder.

"Got it..." With that said, Fangs left to go do some recon on the Ghoulies and Hiram Lodge.

"I'm gonna go check on everyone else..." Sweet Pea kissed the top of Max's head as she and Jughead went to check on Archie and FP. Once they left, Max looked at the mock Serpent tattoo on Jughead's bicep. Chuckling, "When are you gonna get the real thing?"

"Soon... Jughead laughed, looking at his arm. "Still healing up."

"Well, it looks ridiculous. You need the real thing" Max playfully shoved him.

"Hey kids, come take a look. Might be my best one yet" FP smirked as he finished up Archie's Serpent Tattoo. With the possibility of Archie going to jail, Max and Jughead thought it would be a good idea to get him some protection.

"Well, how does it feel to be an honorary serpent?" Jughead asked his best friend.

"We don't throw that title around very often, so you should be flattered" Max chuckled.

"It's pretty savage guys" Archie responded.

"Archie..." Jughead sat down. "First thing I learned at Southside High is that you need to run with a crew to survive..."

"He's right..." Max added. "There are gonna be Serpents in juvenile detention, find them, tell 'em you roll with us. That tattoo is your in, use it."

"Yeah, they're right. To a point, Serpent ink will keep your body safe" FP agreed. "But you still need to worry about protecting this. I speak from experience" FP pointed to his head. "You're mind is the first thing that goes when you're locked up. If you keep your head on straight, you can get through anything. And you gotta keep your wits about you, Red."

"How'd you do it, Max?" Archie turned to the Queen Serpent. It was no surprise that Max has spent her fair share in lockup. But despite the time that has been taken away from her, Max still seemed pretty put together.

"Knowing that there were people waiting for me when I get out" Max revealed. "Getting locked up is already tough on 'em, coming out messed up isn't gonna make things any easier..."

 **...**

The Serpents and the Bulldogs were at Thornhill, enjoying the last few days of Summer before the start of the School year. They wanted to go out with a bang. Sitting at the pool alongside Sweet Pea, Max was staring at her phone. It was a picture of her and Rafe on his last birthday. She missed her little brother. Max had a hole in heart the size of Rafe.

"Hey, you good?" Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Yeah..." Max tried to put on a strong front. She was tired of being weak. She hated making Sweet Pea worry about her all the time.

"Hey, you're not fooling me..." Sweet Pea tilted her chin up. "I got you, everything will work out..." Smiling, Max cupped Sweet Pea's face and shared several kisses on his lips. Laughing, Sweet Pea brought Max into his arms. While they were distracted in their moment, they didn't realize Josie had a eye on them.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." Toni commented, noticing Josie's wandering eye on Sweet Pea.

"Huh?" Josie snapped herself out of it.

"Max hates sharing. If she catches your eye on something that's her's, she isn't gonna be happy..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Josie played dumb. Over this past summer, it was no secret that Josie has had her eye on the taller Serpent. If it was an attraction or anything otherwise, Josie thinks something of Sweet Pea.

"I'm just saying, for Sweet Pea, it has always been Max. And if he had to pick between you and her, he will _always_ choose her..." Toni advised Josie before going to join Cheryl.

"Guys, it's Hot Dog!" Fangs ran up to the two of them.

Concerned, Max and Sweet Pea joined Fangs, Jughead, Cheryl, Toni, and Betty in the boathouse. If Max's suspicions were right, the Ghoulies had something to do with Hot Dog's disappearance. "Are you absolutely sure that this was Hot Dog?" Jughead asked.

"One hundred percent man. They must've snatched him on riot night. He looked skinny, I don't think the Ghoulies are feeding him enough" Fangs explained.

"We're lucky those animals aren't slow roasting him on a grill" Sweet Pea growled.

"What do we do, guys?" Toni asked Max and Jughead.

"We'll be going behind enemy lines. Outnumbered, open to attack from all directions, and risking another gang war" Jughead explained. "But no Serpent left behind, right? That includes our spirit animal. We're gonna deploy after dark, it's gonna be a stealth mission. It's gonna be quick."

"Jug, the last time you went into Ghoulie territory, you were beaten within an inch of your life" Betty said, concerned for her boyfriend's life.

"This time, he isn't alone" Max spoke out. "We're not looking for a fight. We're just gonna grab Hot Dog and go."

"We're gonna be quick, Betty. They won't even know we were there" Jughead rationalized.

"Okay then, we'll I'm going with you" Betty spoke out.

"No."

"No, don't you dare tell me that it's too dangerous, Jug" Betty refuted. "I'm a Serpent and a warrior, Jughead. So, if you're on the front lines, so am I..."

"What do you think?" Jughead turned to Max.

"I think... if she can handle it, why not?" Max shrugged her shoulders. While there was still a part of her that loathed her, Max had to admit she respected Betty's moxie.

"Okay, let's bring Hot Dog home. Shall we?"

 **...**

Later that night, Max was gathering some supplies that the Serpents will be needing tonight. Putting her father's pistol in her Serpent jacket and her switchblade in her boot, Max was preparing for a fight even though that's not the prerogative. While they were just gonna grab their dog, Max wasn't putting anything past Penny Peabody and the Ghoulies. She wasn't gonna be surprised if they tried to pull something over on them.

Once she got everything, Max heard horns from outside. Going outside, Max saw Jughead along with Sweet Pea, Fangs, Betty, Toni and Cheryl waiting for her.

"You ready, Queenie?" Jughead smirked.

"As ready as I'll ever be" Max returned the smirk as she hopped into the back of the pickup.

When they got to the Ghoulie Camp, the Serpents were waiting outside doing surveillance to make sure they were clear.

"God..." Max's heart drop as she heard Hot Dog's whines.

"It's been an hour and no sign of anyone" Toni breathed out.

"Alright, Sweet Pea keep car the warm in case we need to make a getaway. The rest of you, keep an eye out" Max advised them as Jughead got the bolt cutters. As the two Serpent leaders made their way to the fence, the rest of the Serpents kept a lookout.

"Hey" Jughead whispered as they approached the frightened pooch. "Come on, buddy. Let's get you outta here." As Jughead cut Hot Dog's chain, the lights immediately flashed on and the Ghoulies lead by Penny Peabody came out.

"Hiya Jonesy, Max. Welcome back to the Southside." Penny sneered as the Ghoulies surrounded Max and Jughead. "I thought this mangey mutt might get you to show up. We need to talk."

"No, we don't, Penny" Jughead growled. "We're here for the dog."

"If you didn't want trouble, why have you been sending spies all summer, trying to get into our business? Back off. Unless you want a replay of Riot Night."

"You know, Penny. Threatening us isn't the smartest move, cause right now..." Max got in to Penny's face. "We have absolutely nothing to lose..."

"Max, don't..." Jughead pulled her back. "Yeah, we've been sending scouts. We were looking for Hot Dog. Now that we've got him, we're good." Once Jughead released Hot Dog, the dog quickly jumped into Max's arms.

"Not so fast..." Penny started. "Your jackets. The Southside isn't yours anymore. That means you're no longer the Southside Serpents."

"Oh suck it, you old hag!" Max sneered. "These jackets are _ours_! They mean nothing to you!"

"We could always just take it off your limp dead bodies" Penny stalked toward them. "Oh, Jonesy. I also heard Ponytail's a Serpent now, your Northside Queen. Maybe we'll go after her next. Or maybe Max's little brat up in San Junipero..." Penny definitely crossed a line when she threatened Betty and Rafe. Max felt something in her snap. It was one thing for Penny to threaten her, but threatening her loved ones was a line no one dares to cross.

Before Max could rush Penny, Jughead held her back. He knew that look in her eyes and Jughead didn't want a war erupting right now. "Fine. You can have the jackets as long as you and the Ghoulies stay out of the Northside" Jughead bargained.

"Oh, you don't get to make demands..." Malachi threatened only to be met by an arrow in the shoulder.

"Cheryl!" Jughead shouted as Malachi screamed in pain.

"Told you I was in the mood for some hell raising" Cheryl smirked, her bow and arrow, cocked and ready to shoot.

"That's it. Just kill 'em all" Penny ordered the Ghoulies.

Without thinking twice, Max pulled out her father's pistol and aimed it at Penny's forehead. "They take one step and a bullet goes in between your eyes..."

"Max..." Jughead sneered.

"I prepare for everything" Max put her finger on the trigger, ready to pull it. Penny put her hand up, stopping the Ghoulies from rushing at them. "I think you remember the shot my dad was, I got that from him. I don't know if you heard, but I don't miss..."

"Congratulations, you just made the Northside fair game..." Penny threatened them. Tired of Penny's threat, Jughead and Max grabbed Hot Dog and left. "See you soon, Jonesey, Maxie."

When they got to the pickup truck, Max immediately got into the passenger side seat and Jughead jumped into the back.

"You okay?" Sweet Pea asked her.

"We're good" Max looked down at a sleeping Hot Dog in her lap. "Let's just get out of here..." As Sweet Pea started up the truck, Cheryl kept her arrow raised just in case the Ghoulies pulled a fast one.

 **...**

Later that night, Nathaniel was at the Whyte Wyrm in the New Southside with Hiram and Olivia in front of him.

"Olivia has showed me something very... disparaging" Hiram walked in front of Nathaniel. "Something very unbecoming of our agreement."

"What are you talking about?" Nathaniel looked at both of them incredulously. He didn't appreciate being back into a corner by his wife and his business partner.

"This..." Olivia threw a folder on to the table. "What makes you think it's okay to give those Southside Parasites our money? Our assets?"

"You have a short memory. Last time I checked, this is my money. My assets. I've built this company from the ground up with no help from you" Nathaniel glared at his wife. He remembers being 14 years old and working for years at the oil wells along Sweetwater River before rising in the ranks to become the "Oil King of Riverdale". That was all Nathaniel. He grinded out his dream when no one else believed in him. He created something out of nothing. He did this all on his own before Olivia even came in the picture. "Those 'parasites' are my grandchildren. _Our_ grandchildren. I'm giving them what they rightfully deserve. What you took away from them..." Nathaniel stared a hold at Olivia.

"You know..." Hiram buttoned up his jacket and stalked towards Nathaniel. "This causes a... conflict of interest. We don't know what side you're really on."

"For a long time, I wasn't sure what side I was on" Nathaniel stood up. "But right now, it's clear what side I'm on."

"I don't think you know what I'm capable of..." Hiram threatened.

"Believe me, Hiram, I _know_ exactly what you're capable of. I've seen it" Nathaniel got in Hiram's face. "But my granddaughter taught me something important..."

"What could that child taught you?" Olivia looked at him in disbelief.

"She taught me not to be afraid. I'm no longer afraid you, either of you. I refuse to be indebted to either one of you. You want to kill me? Do it..." Nathaniel challenged Hiram. "That doesn't change the fact that Max and Rafe will get the money and assets under my name. And there's nothing you can do about it." Hiram and Olivia looked like a vein was going to pop in their foreheads. "If we have nothing more to discuss, I'll be on my way..."

As Nathaniel was walking out, he turned to Olivia and Hiram. "You're not going to win..."

"What are you talking about?" Hiram looked at him.

"This fight you're going to pick with Max and her friends. You're not going to win..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Well that just happened...  
** **There is a bit to unpack here, so please bear with me.  
** **First, obviously Sweet Pea/Max. I wanted to give them their moment of bliss before it all falls to s***. It's clear that Sweet Pea is Max's pillar of support through everything. With Rafe, Hiram, Penny & The Ghoulies, and Nathaniel, Sweet Pea is everything for her. You can see how much he loves her. But this season, their relationship is going to be tested in every aspect. What do you guys think of Max/Sweet Pea?  
Josie seems to have a wandering eye on Sweet Pea. In the show, Josie & Sweet Pea are kinda adorable but a little random. What do you guys think of the pairing? Also, Toni giving Josie a warning about trying to get in-between Max/Sweet Pea.  
** **Also, Max giving Archie some sage-like wisdom as he prepares for trial. It seems like she has developed a new-found respect for the Northsider.**  
 **We also got our first taste of Jughead and Max as the co-leaders of the Serpents and they've got a big hurdle in front of them in the form of Penny Peabody and the Serpents. What do you guys think of the tandem of Max/Jughead?**  
 **Finally, it seems Nathaniel is done being Hiram and Olivia's lapdog. Even though she doesn't see it, Max is having a big impact on Nathaniel. I mean, it's pretty ballsy to tell Hiram to kill him. But it's clear that he isn't afraid to fight back anymore. What do you guys think of the tense encounter? It seems like the teacher is going to show the student who's the boss.**  
 **What do you guys think of the chapter as a whole? Yay? Nay?**  
 **I will be introducing two new characters that will be a big part of Max's journey this season. Her individual journey will be completely independent to Jughead's. Also, let me know what you guys think of Season 3 so far.  
I'm gonna try to be better with updating, but I'm glad Riverdale is back!  
Please Read&Review!**


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